Triumvirate
by Kashari
Summary: A blood elf struggles to regain her memories while a vengeful night elf seeks to destroy her. A human from our world is dragged into the Azeroth war with a tauren to guide him. Also featuring an underground fighting cell, a network of spies, a dramatic love triangle and a political conspiracy.
1. Purple Light

"Have you got your jacket?"

"Yup. Let's go," Ava smiled to Will, grabbing his hand as they left the bar. Night had fallen since they went inside to share a bottle of wine on their date night. They had been together for over a year and, especially with Ava's busy schedule, really had to make an effort to spend time together away from their mutual friends and to avoid falling into the rut of lying together in bed for hours reading or watching movies.

Ava grabbed her tall, tattooed boyfriend's hand as they went to cross the street, heading back towards the apartment Will shared with friends. The night air was still slightly damp from earlier rain and she looked forward to getting into bed and warming up with him. She had been having nightmares the past couple of months, waking up twisting in the bed, imagining she was being pulled in two. She hoped the alcohol would numb any subconscious stress for tonight at least.

Will pulled her close and gave her a kiss on her forehead as she giggled, both of them a little tipsy from their evening of wining and dining. They pulled apart and Ava smiled again. She was more content with Will than any other person she could remember. It had taken a long time to trust him when they began their relationship, not from any fault of his, but because of her natural distrusting nature. Time and time again, he had proved himself loyal and true, even putting up with her occasional bouts of suspicion. Eventually she relaxed into the companionable rhythm of their relationship, opening up to him and even letting him take her down a notch when she became haughty or cold. Most of the time though he was happy for her to take the lead, something that also came quite naturally to her.

Lost in thought for a moment, they both gave a start when a large, midnight blue cat seemingly materialised in front of them. The cat was about the size of the leopards Ava dragged him to in the local zoo, fulfilling her frequent desire to go and spend inordinate amounts of time staring at the large cats there. This one though had glowing silver eyes and markings on its side. Most curiously, however, was its behaviour. It sat still, apart from the swishing of its tail, staring resolutely in the direction of Ava. She stared right back at it, her head tilted to one side, mouth slightly open in wonder. To Will though, the cat looked angry and he instinctively turned to put his arm around her front, urging her to step backwards.

Immediately the cat reacted, leaping to its feet and growling dangerously. Ava gasped slightly, snapping out of her admiration for the animal and clutched Will's arm, edging away from the animal. This action only seemed to enrage the cat further but at that moment a musical voice called softly from the shadows.

"Now mon, I know ye don't wanna be messin' up our fine plan with a little kitty tantrum."

The voice belonged to a hooded figure gliding towards the cat. Ava was still fixated on the cat and all Will could see of the stranger were green – _green?!_ - hands clasped together and a pair of tusks – yes, those were definitely tusks - sticking out from the darkness of his robe. The cat became silent once more though still seemed ready to pounce at any time.

"Ye've had yer reunion now, ya? Time for da big reveal brutha."

Still keeping its eyes on Ava, the cat rose and shapeshifted elegantly into the largest man the couple had ever seen. Standing at 7 feet tall with impossibly broad shoulders, he dwarfed Will's lean 6"4 frame. So startled was he at the sheer size of the man, it took a few moments to register the other unusual aspects of his appearance. His ears were long and grew out from his head, as well as long, midnight blue hair. The creature had a beard of the same colour, covering the strong jawline of his hard, stony face. His eyes remained angry, moon-like orbs and were locked on Ava while he spoke.

"Salandria. You have hidden like the coward you are for too long but you will pay for your crimes against my family and against me."

Ava shook her head and quickly exchanged a confused look with Will. "Um, I'm sorry", she stuttered, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not...Salandria, is it? You must have the wrong - "

"ENOUGH!", the creature bellowed, "Enough of your lies. You _will_ pay for your crimes. But first you will remember them. Change her back, Za'zera."

The hooded stranger turned to Ava. "Now let's see if dis borrowed magic works good dis time."

Both humans went to turn away but before they could run, a deep purple light engulfed Ava and she fell to the pavement. Will watched in horror as she began to writhe and twist in unnatural angles. He reached out to her but quickly snapped his hand away as he brushed near the light, it felt like acid on his skin. He looked at the huge man, who was watching Ava with an air of impatience and fascination.

"What the fuck are you doing?! Can't you see she's in pain?"

"Not enough. Not nearly enough," the creature replied softly, almost sadly, without ever breaking his gaze away. Ava opened her mouth and screamed, but it sounded like it came from far away.

This was too much to bear for Will, and he charged at the larger man, taking him by surprise and knocking him to his feet. Before he managed to throw a punch, the thing underneath him transformed once more into the midnight blue cat. The animal let out a strangled growl and clawed him right across the face. Will kept his grip and threw the animal away from him. It may have gained agility and claws in its shapeshifting, but now Will had the height advantage. As he got to his feet, the cat rolled as it landed and got ready to pounce again, until another voice interrupted them.

"Stop ya fightin' mon. It's done."

The pair turned and saw the purple light had vanished. Instead, Ava lay huddled on the pavement, her hands covering her head. Will rushed over and knelt beside her, stroking her blonde hair. The cat has shifted once more into a man but that didn't stop him from growling. The green, hooded figure put a hand on his arm, urging him to patience.

Ava stirred, looked up and reached for Will. He gasped as her ears unfurled and grew into points above her head. That wasn't what he was looking at though. He was staring into her eyes. Her sea-blue eyes were now glowing green back at him, large and scared. A voice from behind Will interrupted his thoughts:

"Now stand and face me blood elf. I've waited for this for too long."


	2. Friend

"What did you do to her?!", Will demanded.

"I returned her to herself", the huge man replied. "She needs to finally face justice and I will not have her doing it in the body of a pathetic human."

"I didn't do it!", Ava replied, then immediately looked confused. She grabbed on to Will's arm for support and wobbled to her feet.

"What are you talking about?", Will whispered softly to her.

Ava found it difficult to reply. She stared open-mouthed up at Will. Why did she say that? It was impossible to think straight. She found herself gazing over at the large man, his name almost at the tip of her tongue. Then she shook her head and clung to her boyfriend.

"I don't quite know. I feel really strange, really confused. My head is killing me. And I think I want to vomit."

As she steadied herself on his arm, Will looked her over. She was dressed in the same clothes as before and didn't seem to have any scrapes or bruises. He noticed, however, that her previously soft flesh seemed to have changed into lean muscle. Despite her current unsteadiness, she looked..._stronger_.

"Ava, what's a blood elf?"

"I don't know. Me, I guess. No, wait...we're a people. Jesus, Will, I don't know, where am I getting this from? What did he do to me?"

"You look...different."

Ava ran her left hand over her face, the right still clutching Will. A look of horror came over her face as she felt her long, pointed ears.

"Salandria, now you will stand and face me. Do you have any final words?" the huge man said, levelly. He seemed to have calmed down during Ava and Will's exchange, though his silver eyes still glittered with barely contained anger.

Ava pushed herself off Will's support and staggered slightly. She looked into the silver eyes of the man and faltered. A jolt of feeling hit her right in the stomach. Of anticipation, and also of fear.

"Get rid of the man", said the giant. "She must do this alone."

The hooded figure turned and put his hands together. Suddenly, Will felt a surge of adrenaline as fear rose up violently inside him and, against all reason, he turned to run. He knew he couldn't leave her, yet his body was completely disconnected from his thoughts. He was 20 metres away before he managed to regain control over his legs. He turned and saw Ava, clumsily but consistently dodging attacks from the large man. He flung light from his hands but she ducked and rolled. The ground rumbled and green, grasping roots broke through the concrete pavement but she stumbled over them to safety.

As she lay on the ground panting, the huge man took a deep breath, drew himself up and called down a bright light, almost like white fire, on top of her. She rolled away from the impact at the last second and tried to drag herself up, only getting as far as her knees. Will ran to her but stopped he saw an indignant look come over her face and when she spoke, it was with a cold fury.

"You _dare_ to use the arcane on _me_? Is this truly what you've been reduced to?"

However little sense her words made to Will, they seemed to have an effect on the large man. He stood still for a moment then raised his deep voice in anger.

"When you have rejected all we fought for? All our comrades died for? You ran away from everything we built and left it in _ashes!_ You are a betrayer and a murderer, just like the rest of your filthy fel-tainted people!"

Ava slowly rose to standing, her features locked in anger and screamed, "I didn't murdered them!"

The hooded figure, who up to this point had been watching the scene impassively, moved towards the huge man, placing himself in front of Ava.

"It's too late Darshan-brutha. He's comin'. My magic won't last much longer here. We canna face him in dis world."

"I'm not leaving her Za'zera! I won't waste another 5 years, this must end!"

The hooded figure grabbed the large man by both his arms. "An' it will, brutha. Where do you think Caruur is going to take her?"

The giant seemed to relent and turned once more to Ava, who was once more supported by Will, as she wavered about on her two legs. "This is just beginning Salandria. You cannot hide from me, not anymore." With those parting words, the pair seemed to morph into the shadow once more and were gone.

Will and Ava noticed the sound of car alarms going off in the distance and a series of loud thumps, coming closer towards them. "You're not serious...", Will muttered.

The pair of them could only stare in amazement and horror at the huge reptile thundering towards them. The beast pulled up before them and gave a snort. However strange their previous combatants appeared, the sheer scale of what was before them was terrifying.

The reptile sniffed at Ava then licked her, pushing her back slightly with the force. She staggered slightly, then giggled, rubbing the spot just in front of its horn. A deep voice rumbled down from the reptile's back.

"The time for pleasantries will come, old friend. We must get you home."

A ladder was thrown down the side of the reptile and a bull-like creature gracefully descended to the pavement. The thing stood at nearly 8 feet tall and when it spoke it was with a deep rumble but articulate all the same.

"I'm sorry my protection failed you Salandria. Or should I say Ava. I understand everything is confusing to you now, but I believe you should now have some kind of access to your blood elf memories and feelings. If I'm correct, then you should know you can trust me, even if you don't remember why yet."

Ava paused and then nodded slowly. "Yes...Caruur. Friend."

"Then I hope you will waste no time and get on Ragre with me. We need to get you home."

"Wait a second", Will interjected. "Do you honestly think after this night of complete and total weirdos, I'm going to let my girlfriend just head off to God-knows-where with a...?"

"Tauren", Caruur supplied, helpfully.

"A tauren, then. Well, tauren - "

"Please, call me Caruur, William."

"Eh, right, ok. It's Will actually. But yeah ok, well Caruur, I can't let you just take her off on the back of a...?"

"Kodo."

"Thanks, right, kodo. She can't just leave, not after all she's been through."

"Of course, I understand. And I would expect no less from you. As you can see, Ava has changed. Against my wishes for her, I'm afraid. She cannot be looked after here and she is in grave danger from the two you encountered earlier this evening. Her only chance is to come back home now, to Azeroth. Even if she wasn't being hunted, with her current appearance, there is no way she can stay in this world safely."

Will looked at his girlfriend's transformed eyes, glowing from under her blonde fringe.

"I guess I can't argue with that...Caruur", Will stumbled over the harsh Tauren language. "But I can't leave her."

"Ride with us for a while. Ava trusts you and so I can trust you with details of Azeroth. My magic cannot work well in the confines of this concrete place so we will have to ride outside the city. I had to make my portal where the elements of nature are stronger, hence my delay in reaching you."

Will nodded, pretending he understood. Caruur swung up easily on the back of the kodo while Will helped Ava climb the rope ladder and sat with her in a hanging chair located to the side of the tauren. So huge was the chair, they both sat comfortably. As Ragre started to move, Ava began to lean back and relax while Will supported her as he tried to focus on a spot on the horizon to avoid feeling nauseous.

"In Azeroth, Will, there has been a war going on for many, many years between two factions, the Horde and the Alliance. As with all wars, there is some argument about which side started it but what can be certain is that it began in.."

As Ava listened to the deep rhythm of Caruur's voice teaching Will a basic outline of Azeroth's history of war, she closed her eyes, letting herself be rocked by the kodo's movements. She felt exhausted but she concentrated on Caruur's lessons. Everything he said felt like he was fitting a new piece of a puzzle in front of her. She could hear Will's surprised gasps and questions but none of this strange history seemed new to her. Instead, it was like Caruur was helping her remember a dream she had, resulting in a curious mix of satisfaction and worry. Everything he said brought more questions and connections to her mind but the information she needed seemed just out of reach. She couldn't get the feeling she was forgetting something very important.

She jolted slightly at the mention of Silvermoon. Beautiful Silvermoon. It had been so long since she walked under the golden-red leaves, felt the warmth of the sun there, so long since she had seen Liadrin...

"Ok, so I believe you", Will said, as the unusual trio began reaching the edge of the city. "I don't really have much choice I guess. Azeroth sounds awful though. So many nations at war for so long. Is there any escape from it?"

"For some yes. There are neutral races, but more and more they seem to be leaping into the fight. War is profitable and, too often, it consumes the hearts and minds of the nation. Sometimes it's easier to wage warfare than lead your people."

"Surely people want to stop the war? Don't you have peace activists? Protests? Diplomacy?"

Caruur sighed heavily. "Yes, there are those who want this. I'm not sure about peace though. Peace has to be fought for, like everything else in Azeroth. We are here."

The kodo pulled to a halt in front of a whirling pool of green light.

"This is where you must leave us Will."

"No! I'm not leaving Ava. There's no way I'm getting off this reptile."

"I simply cannot allow it. You will be untrained, in a strange land. I cannot have the worry of looking after you and Salandria. And I may not be able to get you home again."

Will paused. Would he ever come home if he went through that portal? He looked down at Ava and clutched closer her to him.

"No, Caruur. I'm going too."

"You do not under-"

"Humans live in Azeroth too", Ava softly interjected as she opened her eyes slowly. "Please let him come with me, friend."

Caruur looked at them both thoughtfully and shook his head. "Very well, I see I have no choice in this. Perhaps it is for the best. But it will make my immediate task that much harder for all of us."

With those words, Ava smiled then slumped back in the chair and passed out. Caruur urged Ragre forward into Azeroth.


	3. An Extra Pair of Hands

**Travelling by portal was not likely to be a process Will would get used to any time soon. He felt as if he was being sucked into a vacuum, his body being pulled and distended. For a long moment, all he could see was a rushing stream of green light all around him, while all traces of Ava and Caruur disappeared. His insides were squeezed from all angles and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, he was thrown out the other side of the portal. His ears popped and he sighed with relief.**

Will was still steadying himself when Caruur hopped off and held his arms out towards the portal. The taurens hands glowed briefly and the portal light blinked away. Will was left staring at an enormous wall of red rock. The sun burned down, starting to creep towards the horizon.

"So, where are we?", Will asked.

"Unfortunately for you William, we are outside Orgrimmar, capital city of the Orc race and of the Horde itself. As a human, and an unarmed and thus clearly unimportant one at that, if you're caught here, you'll meet a gruesome end immediately, your body dragged through the streets and then unceremoniously dumped somewhere outside its walls."

Will gulped. "And why exactly did you bring us _here_?"

"My work unfortunately involves coming to this city quite regularly. I was here when I could feel my protection around Ava weakening and rode to the first spot I could where I could slip into your world unnoticed. I did not expect to bring anybody back with her. Even more unfortunately for you, we will have to stop here for at least a day, maybe two, before Ava is ready to travel any further. Quite honestly, I don't know how she managed to remain upright as long as she did. The effects of this kind of magic being broken are still unknown. She needs a bed and some rest until we can move somewhere safer. But that leaves us with the problem of what to do with you."

"Maybe if I just put on a Horde tshirt or something...?"

"No, I'm afraid that won't do. While you are in Azeroth, you will always be seen as a member of the Alliance, especially in Horde-controlled territory. There is no real possibility of people crossing over faction lines. If either of us were even seen standing here, speaking cordially to each other, a member of our factions could take it upon themselves to kill us all and it is unlikely anyone would bat an eyelid."

"Do you have any good news?"

Caruur chuckled. "Well while talking to you an idea struck me about how we can wait out our time here safely. I'm afraid what I'm going to ask you to do is rather...unpleasant. Unnatural even. But it's the only thing I can think of and we need to get Ava to somewhere she can rest, and fast."

"Whatever it is, I'll do it."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Particularly since now that the portal is gone, you have no choice." Caruur spurred Ragre into action, led him to the mouth of a small cave and helped lift Ava inside.

"Wait here until I return. This is a very quiet area so I doubt anyone will pass by, but remain as deep within as you can, out of sight. Don't go poking your head out, anyone could be flying overhead, scouting for something unusual. I'll leave Ava in your care here with some water. I won't be long."

Will nodded in agreement and, with that, Caruur rode off. Will tried to recap everything the tauren had told him while they were riding to the portal. Two factions, several races fighting on each side. Caruur had painted a picture of a ruthless and harsh world, torn apart by war. Right now, he was trusting the tauren to protect them. He made him feel at ease and had an air of power and calmness about him. Will started to worry if he'd be able to pull his own weight here. At home he worked as a freelance photographer and occasionally worked some nights in a bar. While he was strong and fit enough, he'd never picked up a weapon or learned how to fight. How could he help keep Ava safe in this bizarre place?

He looked down at the familiar sleeping face on his lap. Familiar, that is, apart from the ears. A lot had happened in the last few hours and he had made some hasty decisions but they had all been made in the knowledge that he had to remain with her. Now that he had a moment alone, he could acknowledge that she was the most important thing to him now. He had concerns about his family, his job, his friends at home. But for now, he only cared about how Caruur was going to take care of her and he would happily follow whatever advice he gave. He stroked her blonde hair and whispered, "I don't care whether your name is Ava or Salandria, I love you. I love you enough to follow you to this mental place in the hope you'll be ok. Even if you are a blood elf, or whatever. And remind me to tell you this when you wake up."

His head snapped up as he heard the rumble of a kodos walk outside. Caruur appeared back in the mouth of the cave, carrying a large sack. As soon as he stepped inside, a putrid smell filled the air.

"Please tell me the smell has something to do with that sack. And please tell me it has nothing to do with your plan to get me into Orgrimmar."

Caruur gently spilled the contents out onto the floor and Will found himself gazing on a black, stinking robe and a pair of decomposed human hands, recently and roughly sawn off just above the wrist. The smell of foul decay filled his nostrils and lungs and he vomited violently. He continued to retch and heave long after his stomach was empty. Caruur watched him patiently until he finished.

"Ok, I think I'm done now. What are those for?"

"You remember me telling you about the Forsaken? Well they are the only race you'll be able to pass for, since they're usually undead humans. I propose to put you in this robe and cover your face. Forsaken usually have a noticeable odour, although it's not usually this foul. The smell from the robe and the body parts will help hide you...and hopefully will keep people away. The robe conceals everything except your hands so..."

"So I have to keep a hold of these ones and make sure they're visible."

"Exactly. It's safer for us too. The orcs have become too suspicious of late and will not hesitate to tear down your robe if they suspect anything."

"Where did you get these?"

"I was not exaggerating earlier when I told you of the fate of some humans who find themselves in Orgrimmar. There is little effort made to bury the bodies, they were not hard to find."

"Jesus, that's grim."

"Yes. I'm sorry to have to put you through it but I'm afraid it's the best I could come up with. I also killed a bird on the way back. I'm going to cover Ava's face in blood to account for her unconscious state and hopefully deter anybody from delaying us too much."

Will drew in a deep, ragged breath as he contemplated what they must do. He was starting to gain some kind of comprehension about just how dangerous this would be. He looked again at the rotting pair of hands and wondered who they belonged to. Were the humans of this world much different to himself? If the size of Caruur was anything to go by, he imagined a human facing an orc would have a slim chance of succeeding in a fight. In the immediate though, those hands were the best chance he had of staying alive and close to Ava.

"I'll just take a minute to make sure I have nothing left in my stomach..."

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone so far! To Raventus: sorry if it wasn't clear I was calling the kodo a reptile when I was trying to describe it from Will's point of view. I appreciate the feedback. Also, Caruur wasn't talking about going to Silvermoon, he was simply mentioning it as part of his 'Azeroth history in 15 minutes' talk, which prompted Ava's memories. You were however correct about the challenge he was going to face!**

**Another note for everyone, I'm not going to be strict about the timelines and I may play around a little bit with the lore. There may also be some spoilers in the future about recent lore updates just in case any of you were waiting to play them in the new patches :)**


	4. Night Falls

The trio hastily made their way towards the looming gates of Orgrimmar. Ava was now swaddled in a blanket to hide her clothes, with the fresh blood of the bird dripping down her face to feign an injury, and still unconscious. Caruur carried her now, while steering Ragre, as Will tried to concentrate on anything apart from the stench surrounding him. The black robe covered him entirely, hiding his face and even trailing past his trainers. Inside the billowing sleeves, he gripped the cold, rubbery wrists of the hands Caruur had acquired. The cuts below them were fresh and Will decided not to think about what the tauren had to do to detach them from their previous owner. His thoughts were better occupied with what he was going to see inside the city.

As they approached the city gates, a steady stream of creatures began to converge on the path to enter the city. Will got a look at what he assumed to be goblins and saw two more blood elves, with their pointy ears and bright green eyes, similar now to Ava. Ragre maneuvered easily past the bulk of the crowd and Will had to restrain himself from turning around to get a better look at the goblins. Their progress slowed down just before they reached the gates and he saw two massive orc guards stopping all those who wished to enter Orgrimmar. They were wider than Will ever thought imaginable, wider even than Caruur, with a green complexion and a vicious, unfriendly look on their face.

"What do we have here?", the first orc growled.

"A severely wounded blood elf", Caruur answered. "I was called out earlier to find her. I need to get her to an inn as soon as possible to recover. She has been on a vitally important mission and I must get that information out of her as soon as possible."

"And what about you?", the second orc said as he pointed to Will.

Will remained silent as Caruur answered for him. "Her questing companion. One of the Forsaken not long released from the Scourge's hold. An unfortunate case, he was already decaying when they took him for their use and had been ravaged by the animals. No tongue and a missing eyeball is the least of the damage. They must have been desperate when they claimed this one. He wasn't much good at protecting his companion either."

The second orc took a long, suspicious look at Will and lingered on the grey, dead hands sticking out from the robe on this lap. He peered at the darkness underneath the robe and recoiled when he got closer to the smell. Eventually he shuddered a little, grunted and waved them through, muttering under his breath about those "damn undead creeps."

Ragre carried them forward into the heart of the city. Will saw signs for blacksmiths, tailors and weapon makers. The air felt heavy, the city crammed with people. Smells started to cut the rotting stench surrounding him. His stomach started to rumble as he got the unmistakable waft of chicken. He felt oddly comforted about the fact there he could still eat chicken in Azeroth.

They weren't long in the city before reaching an inn. Caruur handed Ragre over to the stablehand, another orc, this time with dark yellow skin, who nodded silently as he accepted the reins. Caruur held on to Ava as he negotiated a room with three beds, food and some medical supplies. The innkeeper, a stern-looking female Orc, frowned in Will's direction but went on about her business when Caruur produced gold from his pocket. Caruur grabbed Will's shoulder, just about to lead him up the stairs when a slurred growl stopped him.

"And where do you think you're going, oh wise shaman? Upstairs to fuck a tree?"

Caruur turned and gave a restrained sigh when he faced the source of the the taunts. He addressed the other tauren in a tight voice. "Gamon, I see you and your impeccable sense of humour still remain a regular haunt here."

"At least I have a sense of humour," Gamon bellowed, spilling some of his ale as he waved it around. "I don't come marching through here with a sour face and a mightier-than-thou attitude. You and your Earthen Ring friends are all the same. Communing with nature my ass. What do you _do_ all day anyway? Drinking, fighting and fucking, that's all there is to this war and if you don't think so then you're missing out."

"We all do what we can for the sake of the Horde. Now you must excuse me, I have somebody here in urgent need of healing."

Gamon barked out a laugh. "I'd say she'll get a right healing from you alright. Be careful you don't break her in two! But then your kind can cover up all sorts of wounds before the madams wake up, can't they?"

Will stepped forward and Gamon appeared to notice him for the first time. "And what are you hiding under there?"

"A badly decomposed Forsaken. I'm hoping to be able to do something for his appearance. It's...distracting to others."

"Even better to scare pathetic humans away!" Gamon chuckled and then paused. "He must be in a really bad way then. Let's take a look at him", he said, reaching for Will's hood. Will promptly stepped back and Caruur moved in front of him.

"Not now Gamon. I have too many things to do to stand around here tolerating your whims."

The warrior tauren frowned. "You see? You're no fun, Skychaser." He took another glug of ale and pointed his finger towards Caruur. "There's something weird about you, y'know that? Always off on your secret missions. I hear a lot about Horde business here and I never hear anything about you."

There was a pause from Caruur and Will noticed the back of his neck tensing. "Then I must be doing something right."

Gamon's face contorted into a sneer and he looked about to continue his rant when a wine glass hit him on the left side of the face. Enraged, he looked around to see who threw it and saw a pair of blood elves standing outside the inn door, waving merrily and goading him to come outside and fight. Gamon promptly threw his cup down, unsheathed his sword and raced out to tussle with the elves, all thoughts of Caruur and his companions forgotten.

In silence, Caruur walked up the stairs to their room and Will followed. The innkeeper brought in food while the tauren lay Ava gently down on the bed.

"Thank you, Morak, please ensure we are not disturbed for the rest of the night."

The female orc nodded and left the room. Will was delighted to see a roast chicken on the table and Caruur nodded his head as a sign to tuck in. The tauren stood at the window, looking out onto the Valley of Strength, the ongoing fight between Gamon and the blood elves illuminated by streetlamps.

"This city grows worse and worse. I'm beginning to despise my visits here."

"So Caruur," Will said, in between large bites of chicken, "you mentioned the Horde to other tauren downstairs. Does this mean you're going to turn me in to that Warchief you told me about earlier?"

"No, it does not. Garrosh's wishes for the Horde have long been different to my own. Some things, however, are too dangerous to talk about, even in the relative security of this room. Orgrimmar has become a dangerous place even for the most loyal Horde supporters. For now, I imagine you're starting to feel quite tired after your meal. It would be nearly dawn in your world, I suggest you get some sleep."

Will nodded, his exhaustion becoming more apparent with Caruur's words. He stashed his robe and the corpse's hands in the wardrobe, to get as much distance between him and the smell, and scrubbed his own hands in the basin of water. As much as he scrubbed, he still felt unclean from gripping the corpse wrists but as he yawned he realised he didn't care.

"Caruur, what are we going to do for Ava?"

"For now, she just needs sleep. When she wakes I'll examine her properly and see if she requires further healing."

Will nodded, idly wondering what kind of medicinal help would be available in Azeroth. Instead of taking his own bed, he lay down beside Ava and gently put his arm around her. Caruur remained gazing out of the window, deep in thought, as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Darshan awaited impatiently through the night for Za'zera to return with news. Despite his lack of sleep, he had an abundance of nervous energy. He had been so close, after years of searching and had failed once more.

Salandria. This was her fault, as so much of the mess he had found himself in was. She had destroyed his entire life. He may have started down this path himself, but it was her who truly convinced him to go further and further from his roots. If he had even had an inkling she was such a monster...

He still had not been fully prepared to see her earlier. Whatever enchantments Caruur had put on her, they may have changed her into a human but they did little else to disguise her. As he had watched her with the man – her lover, he assumed – she seemed carefree, in love and far less weary and sad than when he had known her. There was no fel taint in her eyes to remind everybody of her people's mistakes. Truly, she had lived an entirely different lifetime since then, in a world of peace instead of war.

There had been a split-second moment when he considered turning and walking away from her. Would it matter? Salandria was gone, replaced by this Ava with a different past and different choices. Was the woman he saw in front of him really the same as the elf who had destroyed everything he loved?

Then the man had kissed her and she closed her eyes in happiness. Such a small, intimate gesture. He knew that face, knew her moods. She felt so safe and secure at that moment. Images flashed in front of him. His mother, left to bleed out, hanging there lifeless as her wrists were pinned to the beams by knives. His father, decapitated and left in the garden outside, his blood drowning the herbs he cared for. And Myrai, the pride and joy of their lives...they weren't even sure it was her for a long time. Whatever bits remained of her body they were scattered by the little pond at the back of their cottage, where she would go to meditate and pray to Elune. It wasn't for that piece of skull with the blue hair...

_No_, he thought. No, she cannot be allowed to remain safe and happy. Not in this or in any other incarnation Caruur made for her. She will suffer. She will die at his hands and then he he will be free to join his family. He clenched his fists over and over again, waiting desperately for Za'zera to come back.


	5. Rememberance

Salandria was running through the lush, purple-tinged forest. There was no time for stealth, she had to get out of here as soon as possible and find some flight path to Horde territory. For the first time in a long time, she missed home. Ashenvale felt heavy around her, claustrophobic in a way it never had before. She longed to get out of the shade of the trees and into the bright sun again.

She had been wrong to come here. Wrong to think she could change anything. The scratches on her face were stinging reminders of everything she had lost. Could Caruur change his mind? Or did he believe she had done this as well?

She paused for a moment in the shadow of a large tree and crouched down, trying to calm her racing mind. She would easily reach Splintertree Post but she couldn't truly escape him there. She had to take the flight path to Orgrimmar but if she was recognised there...

She heard a growl from just over her shoulder. In her stupidity, he had caught up with her while she was trying to decide. Or did she know already what she had to do and just didn't want to make the decision?

She turned to face him, in the cat form she was so familiar with. Her face softened as she took in the look of pure hatred, clear even in his feline form.

"Darshan...please I -"

There was no time to finish that sentence as he leapt for her.

* * *

Ava started awake with the last plea still on her lips. Light was already beginning to flood the room and she looked up to see the familiar form of Caruur standing by the window, looking at her with concern.

"Darshan...", she whispered again, helplessly. She turned and felt the familiar weight of an arm around her. "Will...oh my god, Will."

Ava slipped out from under him and he rolled over, hugging the pillow in her absence. She looked wildly around the room and a feeling of dread and realisation came over her. She began to pace the room frantically, muttering to herself, her breath becoming increasingly fast-paced.

"We have to get out of here, Caruur. We have to get Will to safety. He'll come for me and he'll kill Will in front of me. Oh shit, what I have I done? He should never have come here."

Caruur came over to her, placing his large frame in the course of her pacing, and resting his hooves on her shoulders gently, speaking in low tones so to not wake Will.

"You must rest. Or at least sit down. It's vitally important you recover as soon as possible." He led her over to the chair and helped her sit. Taking another look at the sleeping man in the corner, he pulled the other chair closer to her and sat down.

"I heard you mention Darshan when you woke. What do you remember?"

"All the memories are starting to come back. Not like remembering them normally, more like being slapped in the face with them. It was horrible. I never really got the chance to talk to you about it..." Ava paused. "You know I didn't kill his family, don't you? I don't know how he got those letters, but I swear - "

"Sssh, my friend. I've never needed proof of your innocence. You may have to explain yourself to many people, but never to me."

Ava looked at him with a grateful expression. "The others though...they won't be so certain."

"Let's not talk of such things now. We're in the centre of Orgrimmar. You passed out before we even went through the portal and unfortunately this was where it led."

Ava gasped. "Oh shit. How did you even manage to smuggle me in?"

"Relax. Most soldiers around here do not have very long memories and you were disguised. My primary concern at the moment is your wellbeing."

"Physically I don't feel too bad, apart from a pounding headache. In fact, I feel kind of stronger than I did when I met you in the other world."

"Yes. You had let your human body get a bit out of shape. Now that you've been returned, many of your abilities have as well."

"Good. But mentally...Caruur I didn't think it was possible to feel so confused. I remember everything from my time as a human. But these thoughts and memories from a blood elf are starting to creep back in. I remember you properly now and how we met." They both smiled at that. "I remember Darshan and what we did together. Before that it's still quite blurry."

"Well, you do have decades of memories to remember. While the physical transformation was immediate and violent, the mind takes longer to readjust itself to normality. Which is good because otherwise the consequences to your sanity could be dire."

"I can see what you mean. It's all a little overwhelming. I'm remembering some of my thoughts and feelings as Salandria...but I'm also Ava. I also love Will and my job and my family...oh, no, my mom. She'll think I've been kidnapped if I don't ring her every day."

Caruur patted her arm gently. "We have many things to discuss in the coming days. Now are you sure that you're feeling no more ill effects?" Ava nodded. "In that case, may I suggest we get some food and consider moving somewhere safer?"

"Yes, definitely. I'd like to get out of this place as soon as possible."

"Also...for now, what would you like me to call you?"

Ava hesitated. She looked over at the tall, sleeping form stirring in the bed. "I think for now Ava is best. I feel more comfortable with it."

"Very well, Ava. I'll call the innkeeper for some food. I believe Will likes chicken?"

She laughed. "I bet he was happy to know that was still on the menu."

"Indeed. I'll excuse myself and perhaps you should wake him up gently."

Caruur left the room, shutting the door quietly. Ava softly slid next to him on the bed, waking him with a kiss on the forehead.

"Mmm, Ava," he mumbled, then opened his eyes. He gave a start as he looked into the bright glowing green eyes. Ava's expression dropped but she quickly pulled herself together. This was only the first day, it was natural he wasn't accustomed to her fel-tainted eyes yet.

"Sorry," he said, seeing her expression.

"It's ok. It's going to get some getting used to."

"I take it we're still in Azeroth and it definitely wasn't an hallucination then."

"Yes. Caruur has gone to get some food and we're going to go somewhere safer. I...I'm starting to remember things from my life as a blood elf."

"And...?"

"And...I have a lot to explain to you on the way." Will nodded slowly. "Let's get out of here in one piece first though. And what is that awful smell?!"

**A/N: Thanks to all those reading so far! I went back today and made a couple of tiny tweaks in the previous chapters with regard to time, making Darshan's hunt for Ava 5 years, not 25. I've realised that's just too long a time to include some of the famous characters I want to. That's the only change, so I hope you continue to enjoy the story :)**


	6. The Last Fight

Ava soon found out what the smell was. Until they were safely out of Orgrimmar, she declined to sit next to Will on Ragre, instead taking the seat on the opposite side of Caruur. The tauren had given her a priestess robe to hide her face and even at this distance, her nose was scrunched up underneath the hood at the smell of rotting flesh under the burning sun.

She was also glad she had some time to be alone with her thoughts. She had a lot of explaining to do to Will and needed some time to process what she needed to say. Instead of concentrating on that though, she kept thinking back to the dream she had last night...

* * *

Her last fight with Darshan had been lengthy and well-matched. Whatever lingering doubts she had in her mind about his intent vanished when he caught up with her. He had scrawled and ravaged with a rage she had not seen in the battlefields for years. She had seen him in action, even tussled with him several times, but never had she been given a glimpse at this level of raw strength.

His anger made him powerful but it also made him sloppy, and once she realised this, she was able to use it against him. As beat up as she was, she feigned a movement to the right, then quickly dodged to the left, using her uninjured arm to flip him over and land a boot on the unprotected belly of his feline form. Knowing he would be winded, she made a run for Splintertree Post.

When they saw the condition she was in, the orcs and taurens who protected the outpost begun a new patrol to ensure no Alliance members could get near the entrance and a shaman had been on hand to offer her healing. By this point she was limping and her right arm was almost completely ravaged but she declined. She ran straight to Flight Master Vhulgra and offered her as much gold as she wanted to give her the fastest wyvern to Orgrimmar.

Vhulgra looked her up and down. "Would it not be better, elf, to get yourself in better condition? You'll fly faster that way and I don't want you bleeding all over my wyvern."

"I'll offer you double. I just need to get to Orgrimmar straight away."

"And why is that?"

She paused. Flight masters were notorious information seekers and spies and going to Orgrimmar had been a hasty decision, leaving her with no time to think of a plausible story.

"It's to do with the expansion of our Ashenvale operations. Anything other than that is classified."

Vhulgra considered this for a moment and bit her lip with a look of indecision. She sighed and said, "Ok, fine, if it's that important. There's an undead mage over by the stables getting his horse taken care of. I'm sure if you offer him that gold he can take care of it for you."

Salandria nodded her thanks and ran towards the stable. She disliked travelling by portal, in fact she avoided the arcane whenever she could. It was, however, the fastest way out of here and she could be sure that Darshan would have difficulty following her.

The mage wanted more gold than Vhulgra for the portal and she practically flung it at him. As she leaped through the open portal, her thought had simply been: w_hat in the light am I going to do now?_

* * *

As Ava now rode disguised through the streets of Orgrimmar, she recalled the panic she felt as she was hurtled straight into the depths of Horde territory. Sometimes it felt like it had happened to an entirely different person. In a sense it had. This was Salandria's life she was remembering, she had lived an entirely different one in the meantime.

She groaned softly, thinking of her mother at home and all her friends. It pained her to think about how worried they must be. She also felt a pang of regret when she thought about her job. She had been in her dream job at an aid agency for the last six months. It brought her great personal satisfaction and she had really begun to feel like she was making a difference. That and a great relationship with Will was all she had ever wanted. Now she had been ripped back to this shitstorm and was still in the same trouble as she had been when she left.

Caruur didn't realise what an amazing gift he had given her. Her life as Ava had not always been happy but it was certainly a good deal easier than what she went through as Salandria. Her earlier memories had yet to return but already she felt a deep and familiar sense of sadness and loss settling over her. She also wondered how she managed to have 25 years of Ava's memories, while only being missing from Azeroth for five. Another thing to add to the list of questions for Caruur.

As they passed the mage trainers, she returned to thinking about her last day in Azeroth and her escape from Orgrimmar...

* * *

When she stumbled through the portal, she realised she had landed by the mage trainers. Some of them stopped to stare at her disheveled and bloody appearance so she quickly adjusted her hood and tried to secure her ripped mask around her face. She resisted the urge to run from the staring mages and instead started a brisk walk into the bustling city.

Salandria always avoided the larger cities, fearing the consequences of being spotted by the wrong person, but right now it was the less immediate danger. She stopped quickly under a bridge to watch the blood from her face and made herself slightly more presentable. She then made her way to a small, rundown inn in the Valley of Wisdom.

Mogha, the female orc innkeeper, brightened up when she recognised Salandria, then frowned at the scratches and wounds on her arm and face.

"I hope you're not bringing any trouble here. This inn works well because nobody draws attention to it."

"I know, Mogha. This time the trouble is personal, nothing to do with the cause."

"Hmmpf", Mogha grunted. "Well in that case I better get you some bandages and food. What does Caruur have to say about all this trouble? It must have been really bad to bring you here. What if any of the elves recognised you?"

"He doesn't know yet. He's my next port of call. I'll get out of here as soon as I'm rested up, Orgrimmar was a last resort for me as well."

"I can see that, you're barely in one piece. Here, take the key to this room and I'll follow you with supplies soon."

Salandria thanked her and slunk off to a small room at the back of the top floor of the inn. From here she could see the city walls and even a bit of the outskirts of the city. She had already spent too much time on the streets outside and as soon as she left Horde territory, she could be vulnerable to an attack from Darshan again. She needed to get a message to Caruur, he was the only one right now she could trust. When Mogha came to the room with food and bandages, she made her request.

"Do you have any way of getting a message to Caruur?"

Mogha looked at her suspiciously. "I might."

"Well if you do, can you please ask him to get me out of here? I need a safe haven, he's the only one that can provide that."

The orc sighed. "You are more trouble than your gold is worth. I'll try my best."

Salandria's wait was a long one. Her appetite was gone but she picked at her food anyway, knowing she may need her strength later. She stayed up all night, agitated and nervously watching the window for a sign. The inn remained quiet beneath her and the silence seemed oppressive. She tried to resist the desire to replay the last two days in her head but repeatedly she found herself thinking about the proof Darshan claimed he had. What was it that could have convinced him that she killed his family? He wouldn't listen to a word she said.

As she understood it, Darshan's family had kept as far out of Alliance politics as they dared, living in a very quiet corner of the Ashenvale forest. She had seen their house once, from afar, and it was an unassuming cottage hidden behind wild forestry. Why would they even be a target? In the panicked events of the last 48 hours, she hadn't slept and she couldn't think straight now. She desperately hoped Caruur would act quickly on her message, she could use his guidance right now.

All through the night, she watched and waited until finally the first weak rays of dawn started to filter through the sky. Her heart started to race as her keen ears picked up the sound of breaking wood from the ground floor and she hoped it was a rescue for her. She concealed herself in shadow, opened her door and crept along the landing. Peering down the stairs into the near-dark ground floor, she heard Mogha scurry out from her bedroom near the front door.

"What is the meaning of thi-"

Her exclamation was cut short by a short, wet sound and the heavy thump of a body hitting the floor. From the shadows Salandria witnessed the sickening convulsions of the dying orc. Mogha's throat had been cut open and the desperate sound of gurgling filled the air. She had been in war long enough to know it was too late to do anything and she could only look on as Mogha's eyes began to glaze over.

The other shadows moving swiftly around the room began to take shape. Two orcs and a troll were rustling through the papers on the desk. On the back of one orc, Salandria made out the emblem of a bloody, broken hand. The Shattered Hand, the Horde's elite band of assassins were here and she knew exactly who they were looking for.

Gracefully and cautiously, she moved upstairs and barricaded herself into her room using the bits of furniture there. Almost as soon as she had done so, she heard them charge upstairs and position themselves outside her door.

"Salandria of Silvermoon", a growling voice rumbled from outside the door. "You are wanted for crimes against the Horde. Come out and face your punishment."

She knew what punishment they meant. A quick death like Mogha would be too much to hope for. More likely it would involve public humiliation, being dragged through the streets, her head shaved, stones thrown and finally a messy decapitation to the sound of blood-thirsty cheers from the city's inhabitants. If, of course, they didn't just decide to strip her, throw her to the other prisoners in Orgrimmar's dungeons and forget she existed.

She ran to the window ledge and hopped on, hanging out the window by her uninjured arm. She looked down, trying to estimate if the fall would be high enough to kill her. She certainly hoped so, it was the kindest fate available. The door behind began to rattle with the force of the Shattered Hand members trying to get in. She had only seconds to build up her courage. She took a deep breath and stepped out.

She shouted with surprise as she landed with a thump, sprawled across the back of a red drake.

"I was wondering whether you'd have the balls to jump Sal. You're quite the woman, you know that?"

"Ruaran! I've never been happier to see you!" She scrambled up to sit on the drake properly. The handsome, black-haired blood elf holding the reins chuckled and urged the drake to soar into the sky, southward from Orgrimmar. He turned to face her and raised one eyebrow. "Did you ever doubt me?"

She promptly hit him on the arm. "You couldn't have arrived five minutes earlier?!" she screeched.

"And miss the drama? No way, I wanted to see if you could do it. And at least you know something new about yourself."

She put her arms around his thick torso for support, took a deep breath and begun to tremble. Ruaran patted her hand gently, knowing the time for light-hearted quips was over.

"It's ok, Sal. You've got some more fights left in you yet."

"Mogha is dead."

Ruaran sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. She often helped me out whenever I had to go to Orgrimmar. She knew the risks when she signed up for this, even if I suspect she was in it mainly for the gold. What on Azeroth happened to you anyway, Caruur didn't have time to give me the details."

Salandria paused before giving her short reply: "Darshan." She could feel Ruaran's back stiffening. She took a deep breath and, with great difficulty explained. "He believes I killed his family. I don't know how, but he says he has proof. He tried to kill me, a couple of times actually, before I escaped through a portal. He must have found some way to contact the authorities in Orgrimmar about me and given them the name of the inn. They were coming to arrest me."

"_What?_ That stupid fool, I knew he wasn't to be trusted. Too passionate by far, especially for a night elf. If I ever find him, he'll be joining his family soon enough. "

"Please," Salandria interrupted him, in a weak voice. "Not now. I haven't slept in days, I don't understand what's after happening."

She knew Ruaran was biting back an argument. "Ok then. Try and lean against me and get some rest. It won't be that long a flight as I can't take you back to base, we're meeting Caruur in Dustwallow Marsh instead."

Salandria mumbled her thanks and closed her eyes. Rest didn't come to her though, only the sight and sounds of Mogha dying on the inn floor.

* * *

Ava dropped her head as they left through the gates of Orgrimmar and let a tear roll down her cheek. There was nothing but violent memories and the imminent threat of death in this city for her. She shook her head and wiped the tear away. She looked over at Will and felt a surge of rage through her. Darshan was to blame for this. If she had to remain in Azeroth, she would make him pay for destroying her life once again.


	7. Green Crescent

Once they got further into the Barrens, out of sight of Orgrimmar, Will buried the hands and robe. Unsure about the rituals in Azeroth, he said a quick prayer he remembered from childhood under his breath. Caruur gave him a fresh robe but explained to him he must still keep his hood up for now, as the Barrens was still Horde territory. Will was just relieved to be rid of the stench of death, though he could still get a whiff of corpse from his shirt underneath. Caruur promised to provide him with more Azeroth-appropriate clothes once they reached their base.

Now they were in a wide open space, Ragre picked up the pace and began charging through the Barrens. Caruur looked back on Will and Ava, now sitting together once again. While they were physically together, their facial expressions were worried and distant. He knew that Ava had a great many things to explain about her past and could see the guilt in her eyes about bringing Will here. He would have to be trained in the basics of warfare to protect himself, but until then he was her burden. It was clear Will also realised this and he kept his hand protectively over her while he scanned the horizon, as if an ambush would result in anything but his swift death.

He knew there were a great many things to explain before they reached base camp but it was clear the two were reluctant to start the conversation, perhaps fearing what they would hear. Ava had certainly picked up a few human characteristics along the way, not least the desire to avoid awkward topics Clearly it was his responsibility to kick start this.

"So Will, I know you must be keen to learn more about where we're going and our role in the Azeroth war. As you may have guessed, Ava and I are not just old friends but comrades-in-arms as well. We fought and worked together many times. We are, by definition of our race, members of the Horde, which should mean you are our natural enemy. However, Ava and I are part of a rare and, if I may say so, elite group of people dedicated to ending this war by any means necessary. We are an underground force, comprising of members of both factions and even some neutral races. We are called the Green Crescent. Green in honour of Ysera, the dreamer Dragon, and a crescent to remind us that, just like the moon, although we can only see a tiny part of it, does not mean it does not exist."

Will nodded slowly. "I'm not surprised such an organisation exists really. It makes sense that some people around here would be interested in stopping the war."

"This may not be a surprise to you, coming from your world, but here it is practically unheard of. The greatest efforts have been made to isolate the factions, to create enmity between the people of this land. It is helped enormously as well by the atrocities regularly carried out on both sides as well. There have been times of great danger when the Alliance and Horde have worked together, but sadly they have always been short-lived."

"So you're a neutral organisation?"

"Not exactly, though they do exist. We actively fight against both factions, trying to prevent the worst war crimes from both and protecting normal citizens. Some of us work within our community to try and influence people, to act as a buffer against the endless propaganda doled out by each side. We also have a political wing trying to influence matters from high up. Neutral organisations are generally tolerated but I should say both the Alliance and the Horde would love nothing more than to string all of us up as traitors."

"Are we going to meet the rest of the Green Crescent?"

"Some of them. Most of our members work within their factions, maintaining their daily job while trying to change things from within and reporting back to us when necessary. Only the most dedicated – or most desperate – give up their entire lives to work with us at our base camp. And that number has sorely dwindled."

"Why is that?" Ava asked. "Before I left we were becoming so strong. The camp was expanding, bustling with energy and we had some really good fighters."

Caruur shook his head sadly. "Not strong enough to withstand losing both of our leaders. When Darshan accused you of murdering his family, it tore the group asunder. Nearly everybody chose a side and when they did, it was inevitably down faction lines. You and Darshan were their inspiration, the epitome of both factions working together in harmony. People believing you murdered his family, and people believing he framed you, created enormous mistrust. Old prejudices rose up again and many people ended up returning to their old factions."

Ava sat silently in shock. "I never even thought of that happening. I should have found them before you sent me away. They put their trust in me and the least I should have done was give them an explanation. I've put our cause back twenty years."

"It is not your fault, but the fault of whoever set this up. And the fault of Darshan, who should have at least given you the chance to prove you were not behind this before calling for your blood." Will thought he detected a note of anger in the tauren's voice, the first he had heard since they met. "This accusation...I've thought much on the last five years and I still have not been able to figure it out."

"Who is left from the old cell?", Ava asked.

"Ruaran. He says it would be impossible to forge a career in Silvermoon after being inexplicably missing for so long. I'm inclined to believe him, though I do believe there was some personal loyalty to you as well. Tukkar, of course, as if the poor creature ever had anything to return to. Amber, perhaps surprisingly. Eshera and Malik. Nu'neren. And of course Raenysa."

"Raenysa! I'm so happy she stayed!" Ava was cheered slightly at the mention of her draenei friend. "But so few remained. So few believed me."

"Oh some thought the worse of you, humans and some night elves mainly. Many believed you, or at least didn't know who to believe. Yes, some gave up the cause entirely, but others simply preferred to stop working at such close quarters with the Horde. 'Old habits die hard', I believe is the apt phrase. Of course, what is left is sorely in disarray. Ruaran maintains a tight military schedule, but morale is low and, despite my best efforts, I am not a natural leader or organiser. We could use a strong figurehead again."

Ava glanced sharply at Caruur but his face gave nothing away. "First things first, old friend."

Caruur nodded but Ava thought she noticed a little smile on his face. Will, who was trying to keep up with this, poked Ava in the ribs to get her attention back.

'So, you and Darshan were the leaders of this troop? And he thinks you murdered his family? I think you need to back up a little here."

"Oh, sorry, Will. Yes, we were the leaders, in so much as there were leaders. We shared the same passion for cross-faction unity and a balance of strengths that worked well together. For reasons I never discovered, he believes I murdered his family in cold blood and wants to kill me. It seems he has hunted me ever since. The other person with him was Za'zera, a troll priest who also worked with us. I'm not entirely sure why he has remained working closely with Darshan instead of the Crescent though."

"How did you meet each other?"

Ava blushed at the memory. "Oh...that's not important now."

Caruur, who had very pointedly turned his back on the pair to give them some semblance of privacy, now cleared his throat very loudly. Ava sighed and took that as a strong hint to spit the rest of her story out.

"Darshan and I didn't just share the same political goals. Before he thought I murdered his family...we were engaged to be married."


	8. Meditations

Will and Ava sat next to each other in silence for some time. Caruur noticed that Will's had taken his arm from around his girlfriend. Instead, he was leaning back in his seat, as if putting as much distance between them as possible. His head was turned away, frowning as he focused on something in the distance. Ava leaned forward in the seat, her arms wrapped around her calves for comfort, her chin propped up on her knees.

Caruur shook his head softly. Humans – and he still counted Ava as a human, for now – were always the worst at dealing with their emotions. In his opinion, they frequently created unnecessary problems for themselves. He knew, without asking, that Will was in the grip of jealousy. Sadness and confusion as well, probably. It was a trying time for the man. But Caruur felt it was really jealousy he was really struggling with now and was trying to hide it in his silence. Jealousy was a weak emotion and weakness was not something Will could afford to show right now.

* * *

Will was ruminating over what Ava had revealed to him. _Engaged? _His beautiful, albeit elven, girlfriend had been ready to commit herself to a lifetime with another man. Another elf actually, one of her own kind, or at least more similar than he and Ava were now. How long were elves' lifetimes anyway?

He stole a glance at her. She was curled up in the same way she did when they watched horror movies. Or when she was opening up about something painful to him. It was her vulnerable stance, as if curling herself up could prevent anything upsetting her.

He thought back over what he discovered. She was an elf, some kind of well-trained warrior clearly. Caruur had also hinted she was a leader of their renegade group. It made sense, Ava had always been passionate about certain causes and very well-organised. She made a natural leader, even within their own group of friends back home. How much of the Ava he knew was influenced by this blood elf Salandria? What about before the Green Crescent? Had she left her blood elf family to fight for this cause? Would he get to meet them?

He took a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts. He knew he was trying not to focus on the most important question of them all. _What kind of future did they have together now?_ Clearly cross-faction romance was not that big of an issue to her. And her former-betrothed was now out to kill her. But was there still something there? The way he had turned on her seemed so sudden. _What would happen if Darshan suddenly decided she was innocent? _He looked again at Ava, similarly lost in thought. He wouldn't lose her, he had followed her all the way to this world and a wave of determination ran through him.

* * *

Ava sat hunched up at the front of the seat, staring straight ahead into the unchanging landscape of the Barrens. She decided to give Will as much space as she could while both of them were riding the same kodo. There was nothing more she could say until he approached her with questions. He had never been the jealous type but then he had never found out about a previous engagement in a different world. It was impossible to predict his behaviour at this point.

As she thought more about Darshan, the details came back to her. Rage still filled her at the thought of his accusations but it was more than simple indignation. She recognised it now as a deep betrayal of everything they had together. She closed her eyes as the memories came back to her. She could remember it all; the laughter, the passion, the arguments, the dreams, the sight, the sound, the _feel_ of him.

She had lovers before, in her blood elf life, but it had been nothing like that. Both self-imposed exiles, they almost always made love outside, rolling around for hours on soft grass, or quickly and urgently in the depths of a cave. Afterwards, they would lie together and talk for hours, about their families, about their plans for the Green Crescent or about what their lives would be like if the war finally ended. They were consumed with each other. When she lookedat Darshan, she saw her soulmate in every way.

He had thrown all that away when he refused to listen to her about the murders. The pain of it had returned along with her memories of him and now she had some guilt to add to the mix. She glanced behind at Will, his brow furrowed as he stared down at the ground. She couldn't help comparing the two.

She had been attracted to Will from the start, from the moment a mutual friend had brought him into her life. He was handsome, funny, intelligent, caring and patient with her in the bad times. He was the only one in a long time she had seen as a match and the first man she could envisage spending her life with. He was her equal, her mate. She loved him, respected him, wasand had great sex with him. She knew, for certain, he felt the same.

But it had never been the intoxicating, all-consuming fire it had been with Darshan...but then they had never lived in dangerous times. She and Will had lived their lives knowing they would see each other the next day. The longest they'd ever been apart was a week she spent in Italy with her mother, and even then they text every day. When she and Darshan parted ways, it was usually to embark on a dangerous mission, where death and captivity were very real possibilities. While it broke her heart every time, it added an intensity to the relationship.

Will had followed her all the way here, leaving behind everything he knew the leap into the unknown to protect her. The knowledge of this made her feel warm and secure, the only thing she ever really wanted. She hoped he would be able to accept life here in Azeroth. She didn't know if she could face the future without him.

* * *

Caruur noticed the landscape changing, becoming gradually more green and lush. They were approaching Feralas, bypassing Mulgore of course. His peaceful homeland was simply too dangerous for him with his political beliefs. That was the way for most full-time members of the Green Crescent. Other cities were safe enough but back at home there was always a chance of being recognised and awkward questions arising. He knew some people ignored this advice and slipped home to see their loved ones but he was too cautious and disciplined to do so.

Besides who would he visit? The last time he was in Mulgore, his beloved uncle Oarn was still leader of the Skychaser tribe. His leadership ended along with Cairne Bloodhoof's though, as most of his kin were wiped out by the bloodthirsty Grimtotem tribe in the chaos following the chieftain's death. The surviving Skychasers had taken to the traditional nomadic lifestyle once more, making it difficult to get information about them from his connections within mainstream Tauren society. He recalled how he had begged Oarn to publicly break away from the Horde and declare the tribe neutral. Caruur had argued with him that peace was the only way for the Earth Mother to truly thrive. His uncle had simply smiled at him and said "My earthly child and spiritual son, it is not for us to enforce our will on the Earth Mother. When the time comes to work outside the Horde, She will let me know. Until then, be patient and let life happen." But he could not wait. He left the tribe that same night and never saw them again.

There was Una Wildmane of course, that was one person he would dearly love to see. He knew from his contacts within Mulgore she was working with Tauren initiates to the Horde, to cleanse some of the taint left from the Grimtotems. He wondered if she would be open to the work of the Green Crescent. He wondered if she would even remember him...

As they passed through into Feralas, he turned his head north. He knew it was impossible but every time he made this journey, he felt as if he just looked hard enough he could see the beginnings of Mulgore's rolling hills through the thick jungle.

Ava noticed Caruur's longing gaze as they entered Feralas. She knew it was hard for him to be so close to home and never allow himself to enter. She gently patted his hand and when he turned to face her, gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled back and said "Despite the danger you are in, Ava, I am glad to have you back here with us."

Ava sat back on her seat and as she did so, she felt Will's arms wrap around her. He kissed her gently on the cheek and she grinned. No words were necessary, she knew he had dealt with the news of Darshan in his own way.

"How long before we get to this camp?", he asked.

"Only a couple of hours until we reach Ravenwind. You have lots of new people to meet."


	9. The Ruins of Ravenwind

Will was starting to sweat through his clothes as the humidity of Feralas grew more intense. He looked around at the strange scenery, his hood finally down from his robe. He had never seen such intense shades of green before. Wild trees and strange plants surrounded them as Ragre picked his way through the wilderness. Caruur sat back on his seat and relaxed as the kodo seemed to know his own way from here. Will couldn't see any pathway for the kodo to follow but Ragre was making steady progress.

It was remarkable just how quickly their surroundings had changed as they finally left the unyielding sunlight of the Barrens. Once they got some shade, they stopped briefly for something to eat and Will spent some time wandering around a small area, examining the twisting vines and mossy hills. Ava and Caruur sat watching him with amusement, but he noticed they were more at ease here in the jungle. While both the Alliance and Horde operated here, it wasn't a priority area and they didn't come close to any other people on their journey.

For the first time, Will began to appreciate Azeroth. The untamed beauty of Feralas made him wonder what else was out there to explore and the sense of fear that had gripped him since he left home started to dissipate, replaced by an eager urge to explore. After all, it was literally a place out of a fantasy epic. At home he had always been a keen traveller and constantly sought out new experiences and this was surely the ultimate new experience. For now, he had to remain in this strange, new world and he vowed to stop worrying and start appreciating it. He was all too aware that he could be killed in an ambush at any moment, but he resolved to try and make the most out of his time here.

Will relaxed more and more as they rode through Feralas but the closer they got to the Ravenwind camp, the tenser Ava became. She didn't know how Caruur was planning to re-introduce her to the group and she was beginning to stress over the reactions of some of her former comrades. Of course, the fact they remained in the camp might mean they didn't believe Darshan's accusations...then again, those who dedicated their lives to the Green Crescent normally didn't have much of a life to return to anyway.

She was confident Ruaran, her blood elf paladin friend, would greet her warmly. He had been the one to rescue her from Orgrimmar when she was most in danger and, as far as she knew, the only other person who knew about Caruur's plans to conceal her as a human in another world.

When she left Silvermoon and the Blood Knights under cover of darkness, all those years ago, Ruaran caught up with her before she even left the city and demanded to know where she was going and why. They trained together as Blood Knights and had a similar temperament, teaming up together more and more on assignments. Ruaran was the eternal pragmatic, had a healthy disrespect for authority that she liked and she made a snap decision to tell him.

"Long story short, I've become disillusioned with the Horde. With all of it, actually. The future of our people doesn't lie in this eternal war. It lies with cooperation and trust between all races. I can't stay here and fight for a cause I no longer believe in." She paused before adding, "I'm leaving to establish a rebel group with a night elf and a tauren who share the same beliefs."

As expected, he laughed in her face. She frowned and continued on. "I know you think I'm crazy. But there must be more people out there who are thinking the same thing. If we can just find them, we can establish ourselves as a credible force."

He stopped and looked at her very seriously. "What about Lady Liadrin?"

"She'll find out in the morning. I wrote a note saying I left of my own volition and that I'll be safe but nothing more. I'd like to think she'd understand but I can't be certain. Worst case scenario, she'd hand me over to Kael'thas for treason but at the very least she'll stop me from leaving. I know she'll be heartbroken but the Horde is just not the right way, for any of us."

"You're serious about this aren't you? There's no way you'll change your mind." He stated this as a fact, Ruaran knew her stubbornness better than most. She nodded.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"Why? I hardly need protection out there, I kick your ass at least half the the time. Let's be honest, you don't really believe in what I'm saying and if you come with me, you leave everything you've ever known behind. There'll be no going back."

Ruaran shrugged and said "Yes but I don't believe in anything so what does it matter? You've heard the crazy reports coming out of Outland right now. I reckon I've a much better chance of survival staying with you and your band of hippies, even if it means spending time with some night elves. Besides, you're the only person from our legion I can stand for any length of time. Are you actually going to turn away a fully fledged knight from your new enterprise? You won't get very far with your recruitment that way."

Faced with his undeniable logic, Ava couldn't argue any further and Ruaran became the Green Crescent's first recruit. The memory brought a smile to her face and she began looking forward to seeing her oldest friend again. Despite his apparent lack of conviction, she trusted him with her life and that trust had paid off several times before. Whatever his personal beliefs, she knew she had his loyalty.

She was similarly optimistic about seeing Raenysa again. When the draenei mage first walked into their camp, Ava treated her with suspicion. She was the first fulltime arcane practitioner to join the Green Crescent and both Ava and Darshan had a deep-rooted fear and disdain for the arcane. Ruaran was right though, they couldn't turn anybody away and Raenysa proved to be the epitome of responsible sorcery. Her knowledge and skills quickly proved invaluable. She was deeply committed to the Crescent's goals and thoroughly unapologetic for her arcane skills, despite continuous needling from the two elves in charge.

It didn't take too long for Raenysa's talent, dedication and cool calm to win Ava's admiration. She was the rare type of mage who was not on a constant quest for more power; a sharp change, in Ava's opinion, from the mages she had encountered in Silvermoon. Raenysa saw the arcane as a simple progression from the power of nature and and weaved her spells as gracefully and naturally as Darshan's transformations. Their relationship became a close one; Raenysa's company was a welcome change from her male friends and she often found herself confiding in her about her relationship with Darshan and sympathising with Raenysa's difficulties finding a draenei woman whose romantic interests ran similar to her own.

"I suppose I could try human girls, Sala", she would often lament over her third glass of rum, "but what can I say? I just love the tail." Despite sharing such intimate details with each other, the draenei always respected her authority in public and followed her orders without question. Once the fuss died down, she looked forward to catching up with her over a bottle of Tol Barad coconut rum.

"What are you smiling about?", Will asked.

"I'm thinking about my two closest friends at the camp, Ruaran and Raenysa. Caruur said they're both there and you'll get to meet them."

"That's great, I'm sure we'll get on well. That's not all though is it?"

She sighed. "They're not the only people I have to face. Some, like Amber and Eshara, won't be too happy to see me I'm sure. There'll be so many questions to answer."

"I can't be much help to you with that, my love. I'm barely able to remember Caruur's name, let alone navigate through rebel politics. He doesn't seem too concerned about taking you there, though. You trust him, don't you?"

"I do. And you will help me, just by being there." Ava squeezed his hand but she wondered how this band of hardened fighters would react to a human who had never known hardship, war or death.

As they turned north to go through the Twin Colossals, Caruur finally broke his silence. "From here, I would like you to put back up the hoods on your robe and hide underneath them. Do not take them down until I say so. I will take the lead on this when we get to camp. I can't say for sure how some people are going to react but rest assured, you will be safe."

The pair complied and Will edged closer to Ava on the seat, although he refrained from holding her, in case it was interpreted as a sign of weakness. He could feel her heart pounding through her back and he knew her nerves had just ramped up.

For Ava, it seemed like an age before the ruins of Ravenwind finally came into view. At her first look at her former home, her heart leapt up into her throat. It was so achingly familiar she felt like crying. A flash of memories streamed through her mind; waiting for dispatches from the Crescent's circle of spies, saying goodbye to Darshan when he went to see his family, interviewing Amber as a new recruit when she arrived, crying when she found out about Prince Kael'thas' betrayal of the blood elves and worrying about the fate of Liadrin. She took a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She could not afford to be overwhelmed now. She must be able to face what was coming.

The camp was well-disguised from a distance but as the three travellers got nearer the ruins, signs of activity could be seen. Will noticed figures moving through the trees surrounding the stone structures. Under one crumbling arch, a human blacksmith was working on a shield which he quickly abandoned when he noticed Ragre approaching. In the north-eastern corner there was a target area, with dummies being hit by arrows. As they ventured into the ruins, Will spotted a stable in the north-western corner, and a tauren tending to a variety of mounts. Other temporary-looking abodes were set up in and around the ruins; huts and tents were littered around the place, all camouflaged to blend in with the jungle background. To the east, the beginnings of a small farm could be seen.

Caruur and his robed companions were beginning to attract attention. By the time he reached the middle of the ruins, which were set up in a semi-circle, all activity in the ruins had stopped and Ragre was surrounded by creatures of all races, some of whom Will didn't recognise. Everybody was gathering closely around Caruur, welcoming him back, except for a giant, older orc, who sat a little bit away, polishing his sword meticulously. He was, however, paying great attention to the commotion.

Ruaran pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "What did you bring back with you this time, Caruur? A set of new recruits? Or some captives for us to practice on? These archers could use some moving targets."

The small crowd stopped their murmuring as all eyes fell on the pair of robed figures on the side saddle of the kodo. Taking advantage of the silence, Caruur cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Brave members of the Crescent, Warriors of Ravenwind. I'm glad to see all of you well. Is everyone who is in camp at the moment gathered around? Good, I have an important announcement to make. Some of you have been with us many years, some are more recent recruits and all of you are invaluable to our efforts. I'm sure those of you who are newer to this organisation are aware of our history.

"Five years ago, the Green Crescent was close to complete failure. Our leaders, Darshan and Salandria, became divided. Darshan accused Salandria of murdering his family. It ripped this camp apart and many people went back to fight for their factions, feeling they could no longer trust the person sleeping in the next tent. The Horde were once again painted as murderous monsters and the Alliance as arrogant and stubborn beyond reason.

"Those of you there at the time have remained for your own reasons. I hope you know by now these prejudices are simply not true. This kind of innate mistrust made a brave druid turn on the warrior who had fought alongside him, the partner he built this organisation with and the woman he chose to marry. He also deserted Ravenwind without a second look. I can assure you, his accusations are untrue. Darshan went mad with grief and the perceived betrayal and vowed to hunt Salandria down. He turned his passion from justice to vengeance and Salandria would never be safe from him.

"I knew this and have kept her hidden ever since. The magic I used, however, has been broken and Darshan has resumed his hunt for her with a vengeance. She was no longer safe and so I brought her back to Azeroth. She, and her human partner, are with me now. I would ask you to remain calm and welcome Salandria and her partner Will."

Caruur nodded to the pair and Ava and Will removed their hoods. If Will hadn't felt so awkward, he would have been able to appreciate the identical look of shock etched on the faces of all the different races. It was nearly a full minute before the uproar started.

* * *

**A/N: Because the cast is expanding rapidly, both in this chapter and the next, I've added a character list on my bio for quick reference, in case anybody is like me and gets mixed up with names. If there is any story news/delays etc. I'll also post it there. **

**Thanks again for all the follows, I hope everybody is enjoying the story! **


	10. Comrades I

"Murderer!"

"How could you do this without consulting with us?"

"Where _was_ she?!"

"Does that mean Darshan will come here?"

"You're not our leader, you can't do this!"

"Are we safe?"

"Everybody calm down!"

"How do we know she didn't do it? How can you prove it?"

"_Murderer_!"

Will couldn't follow who was saying what, but it was clear most of the people gathered around them had an opinion on the matter and not all of them positive. Ava was staying quiet, scanning the faces in front of her with a calm expression on her face, but he could see her shoulders hunched up beneath her robe and it was clear she was uncomfortable. Caruur let the crowd rabble on for a while longer before clearing his throat and calmly saying "Enough!".

Nobody paid any attention to him. They continued to argue loudly amongst themselves, though Ava noticed both Ruaran and Raenysa remained quiet. To the back of the crowd, she saw Amber looking at her intently with a sneer on her face. The warlock was always someone she was going to have trouble with and she was surprised she wasn't making more of a scene.

Caruur realised he was getting nowhere being polite and waved his hand almost absent-mindedly. The sky cracked and a dozen lightning bolts flung down from the sky, neatly surrounding the group. Will nearly fell out of his saddle with fright and the crowd in front of him hardly fared better. He stifled back a laugh as he saw a dwarf with a long, red beard struggle to get up to his feet. Once everyone was back on their feet, the attention was now firmly back on Caruur, who continued on as if he was never interrupted.

"I understand you have many concerns and I will be happy to answer them individually. Firstly, I must ask you to give me time to get our new arrivals settled in. As you can imagine, Will and Salandria have been through a lot the last couple of days, so I must ask you to respect their privacy for now. I will return here in an hour to answer any other questions or concerns you may have. Until then, I would ask you to go about your day as normal."

With that, Caruur urged Ragre into motion and headed towards the east side of the camp. He stopped abruptly as a tall and graceful night elf stood in front of the kodo, blocking their path. Ava looked at Eshara's stony face and tried to stop herself from shrinking back. The night elf was close to 700 years old and wasn't afraid to throw her age and experience around.

Eshara had joined the Green Crescent nearly a year into its inception. She was a former priestess, who left Darnassus when she claimed Elune had spoken to her directly, telling her to leave the city and find those who would bring peace to all the races of Azeroth. She brought her husband Malik with her, a quiet but ferocious hunter. At 520, Malik was the junior partner in the relationship and supported his wife on all matters of importance, in public at least.

Eshara had clearly expected an important role in the new organisation and was rather surprised to learn this was not the case, or at least as surprised as a 695 year old woman could be. She may have had peaceful ideals but Eshara still firmly believed in the superiority of night elves, not least because of their extended lifespan. In heated moments, she often argued that true wisdom could not be attained in a normal human lifespan and frequently spoke down to her younger comrades (which was all of them).

After Eshara accepted she would not be made leader of the Green Crescent anytime soon, the pair had taken it upon themselves to "adopt" Darshan – who at 115 was barely considered an adult among the Night Elves – and teach him everything they knew. There was genuine affection for the young druid between the couple but also a pragmatic element; if she could not be the leader, Eshara would try and guide the leader. Her aims, Ava suspected, were in the right place and her centuries of experience were undoubtedly useful but she would never endear herself to the rest of the group until she rid herself of the Kaldorei superiority complex. Now she stood in front of her, with Malik behind her left shoulder, and Ava knew she had been right to anticipate a frosty reaction from her.

"Caruur, you need to explain yourself right now. Salandria is a suspected murderer, how can anybody be expected to feel safe while she is within the camp? She has never been proved innocent."

"Nor has she ever been proved guilty", Caruur answered.

"Darshan seemed to believe she was. Considering the _close_ nature of their relationship prior to this, you cannot believe he lied"

"I do not believe he lied deliberately. I do, however, believe he was misled. You know as well as I do his ability to be guided by others."

Ava raised an eyebrow at this, knowing it was Eshara that Darshan was most guided by. The night elf sniffed. "Darshan was no fool, he could see the truth for what it was. We all know how high up Salandria was at Silvermoon. She came straight from a Blood Knight legion to this camp. Is it so unfeasible she was working with Horde all along?"

Ava bit back a reply. She knew this was the kind of reaction she would have to deal with and thought it best to keep silent during this exchange.

"Then why couldn't she go back there? Why wouldn't have the Horde have protected her and welcomed her back with open arms? Why kill a family so far removed from the Aliiance?", Carur reasoned.

"Maybe it was not the Alliance they meant to damage."

Caruur gave a small jolt in his seat but regained his composure quickly. "No...no, perhaps not. Eshara, we will return to this topic I promise. Maybe I need your guidance more than I realise. If it makes you feel any better, you are welcome to put a guard of your choosing outside Salandria and Will's tent."

Eshara pursed her lips but Ava knew that Caruur's nod to her guidance had taken the edge off her indignation. She nodded and moved out of the way. As Ragre moved the trio on, Malik gave Ava a quick nod of acknowledgement. Eshara called after them "One hour Caruur! We will be discussing this again!"

Ragre walked for about five minutes and stopped outside a large, green tent. Inside the tent was a table and four chairs, a makeshift dresser table and, in a smaller inner room, a pile of furs on the ground acting as a bed.

The tauren turned to the pair and said "This is probably a little more rustic than you are used to now. But please make yourself comfortable here. I'm sure Eshara will be posting a guard outside your tent sometime soon. There are probably many people who want to speak with you. Will I tell them to wait until tomorrow?"

Ava glanced outside and noticed the sun starting to set. She looked at Will who was busy taking off his robe, his shirt underneath sticking to him with the heat. He shrugged and said, "It's up to you babe".

"Maybe just Ruaran and Raenysa for tonight, Caruur, if they want to see me of course."

"Of course. I'll have them bring in water and fresh clothes as well."

The tauren left, bending to get his immense height out of the tent in one piece. Ava turned to Will and put her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. He hugged her tightly back and said, "I realise I probably smell."

She laughed. "Then you'll fit right in here. Personal hygiene isn't too much of a concern."

"Are you ok? That night elf had some pretty strong words to say. I felt maybe I should step in but I know so little about the world here...and she's much taller than me!"

"It must be weird for you not to be the tallest person in the room now! But yeah, I'm ok. I can't blame her really, she was very close to Darshan and when he accused me, she believed him. I can't really be mad at her for that."

"Weren't you her leader too?"

"Technically, yes. But she never really respected me because of my age. Eshara is nearly 700 now and I'm only 62."

"_700? _Wait, are you trying to tell me you're 62 years old?!"

"Um, yes. Well, 67 now I guess. Y'know I forgot about that until just now. I'm getting more and more of Salandria's memories back. Blood elves can live hundreds of years so I'm still seen as very young."

"Wow...if you're still very young, what does that make me? You're a little pervy, you know that?"

"Knock, knock!" a voice called from outside the tent. "It's the delivery boy at your service."

Ava grinned and pulled away from Will. "Come in Ruaran!"

The stocky, black-haired blood elf came into the tent, balancing a pitcher of water, wooden cups and a bundle of clothes. He swung around to face the pair, leaned back onto the table and crossed his arms. Will looked him up and down. He was wearing a simple shirt and breeches but his movements coming into the tent had been agile, as if he was ready for anything. Will could see strong muscles in his forearms and it reminded him of how much work he would have to do if he could be of any use to Ava. Ruaran had his long, black hair in a ponytail and his eyes glowed green, just like Ava's, in the fading light of the tent. He wore an amused expression on his face and arched one eyebrow.

"Well, that was definitely an entrance Sal. I couldn't have hoped for much better coming from you."

"I would hate to disappoint you", she replied. Both elves began to laugh and hugged each other, tightly and quickly. Will saw a look of great emotion pass over Ruaran's face as he hugged his long-lost friend but it quickly settled back into normal features.

"Are you going to introduce me to your human friend?"

"Ruaran, this is Will, my boyfriend. He's from the other world, the one Caruur put me in for safety. Will, this is Ruaran. He's a paladin, we trained together in Silvermoon and he's been with the Green Crescent from the beginning."

The two men shook hands. "Well, you certainly have a thing for Alliance members, don't you?", Ruaran chuckled.

"I'm not sure about the Alliance, they don't seem like the nicest people", Will answered.

Ruaran shrugged. "They're ok. No better or worse than anybody else out there. Now, would anybody like to fill me in on what's been happening?"

"Maybe you better sit down."

The three of them gathered around the table and Ava and Will gave Ruaran a rundown of the events over the last couple of days.

Ruaran shook his head. "I can't believe Caruur managed to disguise you as a human in another_ world_. That shaman is way more powerful than he would have any of us believe."

"That's for sure. I'm sure I would have lived out my days happily there had it not been for Darshan. I don't know how he found me", said Ava.

"I hope you don't think I had anything to do with it. I played the perfect idiot after you left. I wouldn't know how to reach that world anyway."

"I know that. It doesn't really matter now, I'm here."

Ruaran nodded. "It's after getting dark. We'll talk about this more tomorrow, I'm sure you're both exhausted coming from orc central today. And you Will, I'm surprised your breeches are still clean after seeing your first sight of orcs!"

"It wasn't that bad really", Will said, embarrassed.

Ruaran looked amused again. "I know Raenysa wants to say hello as well, I'll tell her bring in a torch, you'd need to Kaldorei eyes to see anything in this tent."

Will thanked him and the blood elf went outside. He poked his head back in and said "Just so you know, Malik seems to have assigned himself on guard duty outside. I guess he doesn't want you murdering the rest of us in our sleep."

"I'll try and contain myself", said Ava, dryly.

Ruaran grinned. "It really is good to see you Sal."

For the second time that night, Will and Ava were left alone, this time in the dark. His hand reached for hers and she squeezed it reassuringly.

"Y'know, I think we're going to need something a little stronger to drink if I keep meeting all your old friends."

"Don't worry, alcohol exists here too."

"I guessed as much. Be honest with me, I'm going to have to start learning how to fight, aren't I?"

"Well...I don't know. I mean, there are other things you can do."

"I don't think taking pictures and making cocktails are going to get me very far here."

"You could farm...or sell stuff?"

"While you go out and be all Xena warrior princess?"

"I don't know about that just yet...I've barely come to terms with being back. And my memories...they're starting to return but in bits and pieces. It all feels a bit crowded in my head. Does that make sense?"

"I understand. You need anything, you let me know, ok?"

Their attention was taken by torchlight coming closer to the tent. The flap of the tent lifted and Raenysa poked her head in.

"Good evening, I brought you light."

Ava beckoned the draenei in and, after setting the torch into the ground, Raenysa flung herself on the blood elf and hugged her tightly.

"Oh Sala, I thought I would never see you again! I cannot believe you made it back from that world in one piece."

"You knew about that?"

"I was speaking to Caruur while Ruaran was taking all your attention away from me. Why is it I always have to fight for our girl time together? You are always surrounded by the handsome men", Raenysa said, eyeing Will up and down. "Also, whatever _are_ you wearing?"

Ava glanced down and laughed. She had taken off her robe earlier and was still wearing the clothes she had picked out for her date with Will, an entire world away. She was wearing a sheer little top over a camisole and a chiffon, cutaway skirt with leather pumps. She was definitely not dressed for the jungle, or anywhere else in Azeroth for that matter.

"I haven't even had time to wash since I've been back. Caruur kept us on the move all the time, even when I was passed out. He and Will staged a daring escape from Orgrimmar."

"You were in Orgrimmar? My, things must have been bad. What do you do now?"

"For now, I rest. Try and get my head together a little. You must understand, I've lived an entirely different life in the time I've been away. It's going to take me some time to adjust."

"Well, if anyone can do it, you can, yes?" Raenysa kissed her on the cheek. "You get some sleep now, you're not getting any younger. We speak tomorrow. And if Darshan comes anywhere near this camp, he will be picking frost bolts out of his fur for weeks." She turned to Will. "You, you keep an eye on Sala for me, yes? I must try and drag Eshara away from Caruur, she has been taking up all his time. I'm sure you two will need...privacy anyway", she smirked as she left.

"And that's Raenysa", Ava said fondly once they were alone together again.

Will laughed. "I liked her. And you said she's a mage, right? So she has actual magic? That's pretty cool."

"Yes. The arcane is something not to be messed with though. It nearly destroyed the Sin'dorei and the night elves too, thousands of years ago. Raenysa uses her powers responsibly but there are plenty who don't. The arcane seems to bring out a hunger in people, a desire for more. It can destroy you and others around you, if you let it.

"There were these...creatures in Silvermoon. We called them the Wretched. They were once elves but they couldn't control their addiction to magic. Now they're nothing more than a shell of what they once were. They roam Eversong Woods, mindless and dangerous. Kind of like...well, like zombies I guess." She shuddered as a memory surfaced. "I knew someone who became a Wretched..." She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, just be careful of magic. I have no idea if you'd be able to wield it but there's no way you can avoid it here."

He kissed her on her forehead and stroked her hair gently. "I promise I'll be careful." They stayed like that for a little while, in the flickering torchlight. Will let his mind wander over some of things he had learned that day. There was a lot of darkness in her past life and he suspected he didn't know half of it yet. Ava didn't even seem to remember most of it yet. There was always a seriousness about her that seemed not to fit in with her life back at home. He wondered how much of Salandria Ava had carried with her in her human life. Now she was blood elf again, how much of Ava would remain?

Without words, he led her into the inner room and they lay down on the bed of furs. It was so warm, no covers were needed and they spooned together. Exhaustion started to take over them both but, on the brink of sleep, Will had a thought.

"Ava?"

"Mmm, yes?"

"How did Darshan find out where you were hiding?"

"I don't know. Spying or something, I guess."

"It must have been either Caruur or Ruaran, right? And Caruur wouldn't really have any motivation, since he was the person who hid you in the first place."

Ava stiffened slightly next to him. "I've known Ruaran for a nearly 40 years. He followed me to the Green Crescent, for no other reason than friendship. He's saved my life many times, there's no way he'd put it in danger like that. He wasn't close to Darshan either, they were civil to one another, nothing more."

Will decided to let it go for now, although leaving your home and profession to follow a girl into the unknown seemed a little too friendly to him. If Ruaran didn't like Darshan, well that seemed to fit as well. If Ruaran missed Ava that much maybe he would have brought her back any way he could have, even if it meant involving the druid. Ava seemed to have full faith in him though, but he resolved to think it over when he was less exhausted and ask Caruur about it discreetly. He closed his eyes, and wished for sleep again.

"Will? Do you think our parents are ok?"

He hugged her close. "I hope so. At the very least, they must know that wherever we are, we're together. That will help them, I'm sure of it."

Ava leant back towards him, feeling somewhat reassured. Silence fell over the tent again and it wasn't long before Will's breath grew more steady and she knew he had fallen asleep. She closed her eyes but sleep was a long way off for her yet. Random memories ran through her mind for the next hour until finally they gave way to a welcome dreamless sleep.


	11. Caruur's Plan

Dawn broke early over Feralas and Will painfully opened his eyes and squinted as the first light broke in through the light material of the tent. He mumbled and rolled over, away from the sunshine but the sounds of the camp outside gradually became louder.

"Does anyone in Azeroth ever sleep in?" he muttered to Ava.

She laughed. "No, I'm afraid not. Not in the Green Crescent anyway. If we want to change the world, we have to get up at dawn."

He snorted, though he didn't fail to notice she used the word "we". She may not even have realised it herself but Will wondered if she was starting to slip back into her old life. He watched as she rose from the bed and padded over to the table in the outer tent. Through the curtains he watched her undress and quickly wash with the water in the pitcher from last night.

They had both been so exhausted they had fallen asleep in their clothes and Will felt desire run through him. He was relieved, it was good to know he could be attracted to an elf. Her pointy ears were sort of cute. Ava caught him watching out of the corner of her eye and feigned annoyance. She turned to him and crossed her arms under her breasts.

"Getting a good look are you?"

"Not really. Wanna come over here and show me?"

She grinned. "I'll schedule that in for later. Right now I think I have some more questions to answer. You saw that lot yesterday, Caruur will be swamped. The least I can do is take some of the heat off him."

"I guess I better join you so."

Ava pulled on a pair of soft breeches, leather boots and simple, light cotton top. Fitted and functional, they were designed for durability and freedom of movement. She sighed looked at the chiffon skirt she had taken off. It would be a long time before she would be wearing anything pretty again.

She noticed something glittering on the ground and gasped as she picked it up. It was a pendant, the blood elf icon made from a small ruby, gold and teal glass. It spun in her hand, catching the light. It had been her most treasured possession, given to her by Lady Liadrin shortly before she left the Blood Knights. She had always kept it with her to remind herself why she had chosen the path she did; in spite of being declared a traitor to the Sunwell, she did this for her people. Peace and unity were the only ways they could prosper again.

She had given it to Caruur for safe keeping before he had sent her to the other world. She smiled at his thoughtfulness but the pendant was beginning to trigger strange memories. Her head began to hurt again and she shook it. She couldn't afford distraction now and wearing the blood elf icon openly wouldn't do her any favours. She gently folded the necklace into her pocket.

Will was now fully dressed in leather breeches, a white cotton shirt and boots. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing his forearm tattoos.

"You look like a medieval hero", she giggled.

"All my video game dreams are coming true."

When they left the tent they found Malik still outside, watching the entrance carefully. Will's stomach rumbled at the smell of food in the air, despite the early hour. Everywhere they looked was bustling with activity; people cooking, hauling in supplies, warming up fires for the blacksmith, gathering training materials. This all stopped as Will and Ava progressed through the camp and dozens of eyes turned to stare at them, ranging from curious to downright hostile. Ava stiffened but continued to walk and Will tried to look as threatening as possible.

They spotted Caruur near the cooking fires and quickened their pace to reach him. He welcome them with a smile but he looked weary. She wondered how long Eshara and the others had kept him awake. From the glaring look the former priestess gave her from behind Caruur, the questioning had probably continued most of the night and it didn't look like they were finished yet.

"Good morning. Why don't you sit down to eat. I fear we may have another long day ahead of us, though hopefully not anywhere near as _physically_ exhausting as yesterday", Caruur rumbled.

The pair nodded and sat down on logs acting as makeshift benches. A small, black-haired woman handed them two bowls of porridge, her face impassive. Will looked at Ava and she leaned in to whisper "Gnome". He nodded and proceeded to eat his breakfast, which was sweetened with honey and surprisingly good.

Caruur was concentrating on his food, eating out of a special tauren-sized bowl while Eshara ate hers slowly and delicately, continuing to glower at Ava. Away from the cook fires, Will spotted the orc he had seen yesterday, watching silently and keeping his distance from everyone else.

It wasn't long before everyone was finished and Will reluctantly handed back his bowl to the gnome. There was an air of tension about the camp as everyone waited for what they knew was to come. Caruur called everyone's attention and a group gathered around him at a quick speed; it was clear everybody had been waiting for this moment.

"I'm going to keep this brief", the tauren announced. "I've spent many hours listening to the arguments of many members of this group as to whether Salandria should be allowed stay with the Crescent or not. Many of you have argued passionately both for and against it and I thank you all for your input. I have thought about this a lot, and not just last night but for a long time. I too was deeply affected by the accusations which nearly tore our group apart. As the most senior member of the Crescent remaining, the decision has fallen on me.

"If Salandria is innocent, which I, and many others, believe she is then logic dictates that there simply must be proof of it. The questions surrounding the murder of Darshan's family have never been satisfactorily answered. I think it is our duty to get those answers. I propose Salandria and Will stay here as guests until this issue is resolved. Eshara, and whoever else objects, are welcome to place their own guards on them until such a time as Salandria's innocence can be proved. In the meantime, all our resources and networks will be diverted into finding out the truth about this matter."

This last proclamation drew a series of gasps from the listeners. People started muttering amongst themselves but it was a human woman with short red hair that raised her voice first.

"So the Green Crescent just stops its work for...for _her_", she practically spit the last word.

"Yes Amber. You see, until the question of Salandria's innocence, or otherwise, is answered, there is no Green Crescent. We have been in disarray long enough. Once we know for sure, we can al move on, once and for all. This is a chance to see justice done and I will not let that go."

"We don't need her! Digging into the past like this is ridiculous. She's not important, she left and we were all better off without her."

"I think you know that isn't true. We were never stronger than when she and Darshan were leading us. If we can get some of that organisation and purpose back, we owe it to ourselves to try."

Amber turned to Ava with a withering look. "You would have been better off remaining dead." Before she could reply, the human turned and stalked off towards the jungle overgrowth alone.

Eshara took her turn to speak. "Can we have your public assurances that if Salandria is proven guilty, we will deal with her in accordance to our agreement?"

"Yes. If she is proven guilty she will be turned over to Darshan to do with as he will. And I will be exiled from the Green Crescent."

There were a few gasps at this from the surrounding crowd. Caruur met Ava's eyes and she nodded at him. Normally, such a move would be discussed with her beforehand but she knew he had to be seen to take this decision without her input. She remembered, with only minimal surprise, some of the times they worked together in the past and suppressed a smile at their level of understanding.

"I hope this will be acceptable to everyone", the tauren said.

"I do not like this, Caruur. What if evidence cannot be found? Then we lose you as well as Salandria. I know you don't like to think so, but you are basically our leader now. We can't survive that", said the female gnome.

"I agree" Raenysa chimed in. "This all happened a long time ago. Any evidence would surely be buried by now, yes? By doing this, you are simply offering yourself up as a sacrifice. Sala is innocent and Darshan is insane, that should be obvious by now. Why bother with all of this?"

"The truth will always leave traces" said Caruur. "I believe whoever murdered Darshan's family knew exactly the consequences it would have. Our enemies don't know everything about us though and you must believe me when I say I am confident I will resolve this."

Raenysa nodded reluctantly but continued to frown into the distance. Her acceptance of Caruur's suggestion seemed to instigate a round of half-hearted sounds of agreement throughout the camp. Even those who seemed to take Ava's side last night seemed dubious about the proposal and she didn't blame them. Caruur was well-respected within the Crescent and putting him in danger was putting the whole organisation at risk.

With nothing more to discuss, the crowd drifted away, leaving Eshara, Caruur, Will and Ava seated around a smouldering fire.

Caruur gestured in the direction of his tent. "Perhaps you two should follow me. We have many things to examine and I intend to start working on this straight away. Eshara, you are welcome to continue your guard duties but you will maintain a decent distance from us. You may keep watch with your eyes, not your ears."

The night elf look disgruntled but stayed back a few paces as the trio started to move, fingers brushing against the dagger in her belt all the while.

"Are you positive about this, old friend?" Ava asked. "We both know I'm innocent but proof is a different thing, as we've both learned."

"Oh, I know. But you see, we have a distinct advantage from 5 years ago. You'll be glad to know there is one area the Green Crescent has been expanding in..."

* * *

_Salandria rolled over and kissed his chest, slipping her arm around his bare torso. He smiled, nuzzling her blonde hair and sighed contently, the mixture of her fragrance and the lush forest combining into one._

"_What do you want most when this war stops?"_

"_Mmmm?" he mumbled. "This is hardly pillow talk."_

"_It is for us", she giggled. "Besides, when was the last time we slept on a pillow?"_

"_You sleep on my chest, you can have no complaints. I'm the one with grass in my hair."_

_She ran her teeth over his nipple and he gave a start._

"_I'm serious!"_

"_When the war stops I want a proper bed. A separate bed from you."_

_She opened her mouth to nip him again. "Ok, ok, I'll answer." She snuggled back down onto his chest again._

"_I want to see more children around. Especially elf children. There are so few proper families anymore, everyone has lost somebody or has to live and work far away from home. I know we have time on our side, but elves especially have practically given up on having families. I can't wait until everybody feels safe enough to love again and create life. Nobody should lose a child. And no child should lose a parent", he added, squeezing her hand. _

_She squeezed back, tilting her head up to look at him. "Do you see many elf children in the future?"_

_He smiled. "One day, I see about three or four. Running wild through our own corner of the forest. Learning to heal and hunt, not for the sake of tactics or choosing how to continue a war they didn't start, but to be one with nature and be part of the great balance. I want to see them come into the world confident they will not be taken from it before their time."_

"_I see them too", she added softly._

"_I'm glad to hear it. First though, we have work to do. Then, I think we deserve at least a century to ourselves, don't you?"_

"_Won't you be tired of me by then?" she teased, trying to coax him into saying something nice._

_Instead of smiling, he looked at her with a serious expression. "My heart, I thank Elune I have a long life, just so I can spend it with you. You are my heart and as long as I know you love me, I will be here as sure as night falls every night. I will stop this war for you, my beautiful sun-elf", he finished, kissing the palm of her hand._

_She looked at him for a long time, tears forming in her eyes. She opened her mouth to reply - _

Darshan's eyes snapped open at the sound of rustling in the undergrowth in front of him. Za'zera appeared, a satisfied smile on his face.

"It is as expected, brotha, she be back at camp. We should reach it by tonight. Time to finish this."

The night elf held the troll's eyes for a long moment, reality suspended in the aftermath of the dream. He blinked and rose to his feet, nodding grimly. They began their walk in the direction of the camp, his former home. He hoped it would be the last journey he would ever make.

* * *

_**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. It was a combination of several offline distractions and also the fact that this chapter is roughly halfway through the story and I needed a bit of time to work out exactly how to proceed. Most of these delays should now be resolved, so from now on I'm hoping to get out my more usual semi-regular updates.**_

_**As always, any delays or news will be on my profile for anybody to check. Thanks for reading :)**_


	12. The Third Eye

"What is this all about?" Ava asked, as soon as they were sitting in the privacy of Caruur's tent. "You seem almost...excited."

"As you know, I have never seen myself as a leader here. Despite what you may believe, I lack the innate leadership qualities you and Darshan both possess. I will never inspire warriors to follow me into battle, to keep going when there is no hope. No, knowledge is what I can bring to the table and that is what I've been working on for the last five years.

"Our core numbers may have shrank but the Green Crescent now has more tendrils in Azeroth than ever before. You remember how it was, I needed to slink off into Orgrimmar regularly to hear the latest updates of the war. Or go to the nearest inn and hope to eavesdrop on a drunkard. Of course, most people here still believe that's how I spend my visits away from here."

"And what are you doing?"

"I have been building a network of spies. And a highly efficient one at that, if I may say so myself."

Caruur leaned back with a proud smile on his face, keen to see Ava's reaction. Her face lit up with joy.

"This is wonderful! This could change everything! Will, this is just momentous. You don't know what it was like before, we would only learn about political events long after they took place and at the cost of sending some of us away from the camp for long periods of time. We were often isolated and aiming blindly at what we needed to do. A proper spy network means we can finally react to political changes almost immediately, not to mention the value of being able to know about the public mood as well. It could be an excellent tool for recruiting."

"Exactly", said Caruur. "The information has been invaluable but with our lack of core members there's not a lot we can do with it. We can use it however, to clear your name. And once that's done, I'm confident your diplomacy and confidence will inspire people to join us full time as you have done in the past."

Ava opened her mouth to reply but snapped it shut when she looked at Will. He had been silent for the entire exchange, looking thoughtfully at the table. He had never signed up for this, only ended up in this war-torn world because he was worried about her. He had followed Ava into danger and now he was watching Salandria take over. It was crazy how excited she had become at the prospect of growing the Green Crescent. Plans and plots all started to form in her mind but she reluctantly pushed them out of her head. She had only been back a couple of days, was Ava really disappearing so soon already?

Will remained silent and she reached over to squeeze his hand. "First we should just work on clearing my name. That will benefit everyone here, no matter what happens afterwards."

Caruur coughed in an embarrassed fashion. "Er, yes, yes, of course. Plenty of, um, time for all that afterwards. In the meantime, you'll be happy to note that among my informants I have people high up in Silvermoon, Stormwind and Ironforge."

"Wow, that really is an achievement. Who else in the camp is involved in this?"

"Three others. I have the list of all spies memorised, but in case something happens to me the list is also divided out between the three. The names are too valuable to leave with just one person outside myself. In case there was ever a leak..."

"Yes, that was the right thing to do."

"Given the level of organisation and separation involved, I've also begun to regard it as an entirely different structure. I call it the Third Eye and I am the head. It will be fully at our disposal to find out who murdered Darshan's parents."

"What do you think you're looking for? Do you have any new information?"

"No, not exactly. But something Eshara said yesterday started me thinking again. I'm ashamed I didn't see it before. I fear that in the drama surrounding the aftermath of the murders, we may have overlooked something, uncharacteristically I may add. Eshara said that maybe it wasn't the Alliance that was meant to be damaged by these murders. And she's right. Darshan's family had some involvement with the Alliance but they were hardly prime targets in the war. Relations between the two factions were never going to altered a jot, nor their war plans. The only group that have been damaged by the murders is the Green Crescent."

"So the plan was to destroy the leadership of the group and let the effects filter down?"

"If it was, it worked remarkably well. We were almost totally annihilated as a force, it was fortunate we weren't disbanded in entirety."

Silence ensued as the implications of what Caruur suggested settled on the group. It was Will who finally spoke, breaking his reverie.

"So you think someone ordered the murders of these elves to hurt the Green Crescent? Someone who you were inconveniencing with your actions?"

"It stands to reason. Of course, that could be anyone or any group in either faction. We weren't exactly in the business of making friends."

From the little I know of this place, what you're suggesting is extremely dangerous. If it's true, murder is no obstacle to the people behind it and even poking into this could get everyone killed. How safe is it to even ask these questions to your spies?"

"They may not be able to find the answers but I trust them with other enquiries. This should be no different."

"Do you know who had any knowledge of the Green Crescent five years ago?"

"My resources were not what they are now. But it's a question I've asked before now and, to my knowledge, nobody of importance in either faction knew of our existence. However, all it would have taken is one slip for it to get out."

"Where are you going to start looking?"

"Anywhere I can. I have a feeling the answer lies in whatever so-called evidence Darshan has. In the absence of that, however, I have a few contacts who would be particularly useful to seek out. I'll have some people flying and teleporting out by noon. I think it best I remain here for the moment."

Will nodded his head, looking focused. Ava looked at him with pride. He had been so strong since it all happened and he was proving to have a better grasp of how to proceed than she may have originally thought. She silently admonished herself for ever having doubted him.

"In the meantime", Caruur continued, "it might be worthwhile to get to know your new comrades. You may need their support before this matter is over."

The pair nodded and headed towards the tent exit. As Will left, Ava drew back and said "Thank you for holding on to the necklace, Caruur." At his blank expression she added "the one I kept from Liadrin."

"Ah, yes, of course. You needn't thank me, however. I gave it to Ruaran for safe-keeping, he must have left it there for you."

"Well I am glad to have it anyway."

As she turned away again, the tauren said "I don't mean to offend but I didn't think you would be so sentimental."

"She raised me Caruur. Despite everything, I miss her. I'm sure she misses me too."

"Yes...I suppose she does. A committed woman, Liadrin, from what you've told me. She is certainly devoted to the Sin'dorei."

"Yes. Her devotion to our people knows no bounds. I hope I'm following in her footsteps, in my own way."

With that, Ava left to join Will and Caruur was left thinking about the formidable Lady Liadrin.


	13. Comrades II

Ava stepped out of Caruur's tent and into daylight, joining Will. Camp business was in full swing now and every member of the Crescent was busy with their chores. Will once again spotted the old orc, sitting quietly, watching the tent they had just left. Ava nodded to the orc and said "Hello Tukkar". The orc remained silent but nodded in return.

The pair turned and walked towards the east of the camp.

"Who was that?", asked Will.

"That was Tukkar, one of the few remaining members from my time here."

"I've noticed him around. Doesn't say much, does he?"

"He doesn't say anything at all in fact."

Will raised an eyebrow, urging her to continue.

"Tukkar was a very well-respected general in the Horde and led many battles. He had a reputation for being ferocious, unforgiving and bloodthirsty and he raised his two sons to be the same. You remember what Caruur explained to you about Thrall?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Well, this didn't sit well with Tukkar at all. He was, in many ways, the epitome of the animalistic Horde the Alliance feared and looked down upon. He lived for the fight, where he would fight to the end like a man possessed. That was, until his sons fell in battle at the Thousand Needles.

"They were quite literally torn to bits in front of him and their brothers-in-arms didn't even stop to allow safe retrieval of their bodies. By the time Tukkar cleared the area – singlehandedly, if the reports are to be believed – there was nothing but their armour left. The battle raged on around him but he just turned away and began the long walk home.

"What happened in the interim nobody knows but Caruur found him circling the walls of Orgrimmar, naked and mumbling to himself. He believes Tukkar may have been thrown out of the city for cowardice and desertion, with only the small allowance of his life left to him in knowledge of his service to the Horde, but he was never able to find out for definite.

"Caruur dressed and fed him but when he went to return to Feralas, he didn't want to leave him behind. Tukkar's sons were his life and he had nothing left. So he offered him a place here, a chance to end the war that had claimed his children and thousands of others. Since then, he hasn't said a word, though he's proven himself invaluable to some of our battle plans, albeit through gestures and drawings."

"Wow...that's intense. And he's loyal to the Green Crescent?"

"I think so. He's certainly loyal to Caruur anyway. When he's at camp he remains close to him at all times and obeys without question. Still the perfect soldier, even now."

Will sucked in air through his teeth. The Azeroth conflict was becoming more and more real to him. The people surrounding him must all have been touched by it, all have their own reasons to be here. Ava must have had her reasons as well. Now that her memories were returning – perhaps too rapidly for him – he would use the next opportunity they were alone to ask her about them. It was unlikely she had been motivated solely by idealism.

Lost in thought for a little while, they both found themselves standing on the outskirts of a fenced-off area. Inside, Ruaran was sparring with a bare-chested human male and getting the better of him. They danced gracefully around each other, the wooden clash of their practice swords growing more urgent. The blood elf stepped up his attacks smoothly and persistently and the human was increasingly being pushed back. Ruaran's look of intensity and concentration grew and the human was sweating. With a final dodge and a swing, Ruaran lashed him across the abdomen with the sword and the man fell back, a red welt beginning to appear almost immediately on his skin. He grunted as his opponent went to help him to his feet.

"Better but not good enough. And remember the rules; no healing. I want that mark to remind you just how dead you would be if you were in combat."

Without a word, the human hobbled off, slightly stooped from his injury.

"Ever the beloved leader", smirked Ava.

"I don't care if they like me. I only care if they survive. Petyr there has been with us for nearly year and he still hasn't managed to land his sword on me. Standards are slipping."

She laughed. "They always are."

"Come to test just how much you remember?"

"Not with you, not yet. It's been a long time since you managed to leave one of those marks on my ass but I think I just might be out of practice long enough for you to achieve it today."

Will's eyes widened and she spluttered a little. That definitely sounded wrong. In the early days, Ruaran had delighted in tripping her up in their duels and smacking his practice sword on her ass, for extra humiliation. Trying to explain that now would only cause problems so instead she moved on.

"I will pick up some of the throwing knives though. I need to start somewhere."

"Yes, they did become your weapon of choice when you became more rogue than paladin."

"And you? When was the last time you used the Light?"

"A long time. I'm just a plain old warrior now, but at least I do my fighting hand-to-hand and not skulking around in the shadows."

"Mock me all you want, there were plenty of times when you were glad of my skills in the dark."

As Ava turned away to choose her knives, she grimaced. Will had been tense when asking her about Ruaran last night and her careless banter was not helping. She exhaled silently and started balancing a knife on her hand, testing the weight. Balance, that was what she needed now. She concentrated on her fingers twirling the blade, staring at the sunlight reflecting from metal. She needed focus, calm. She needed both her lives to complement the other, a balancing act that could only be achieved by breathing in...and breathing out...and breathing in...and breathing out, she turned and flung the knife. It sailed past Ruaran's ear and landed on the bullseye on the target practice behind him.

Will's eyes widened once more and he looked behind him to see where the knife had landed. Ruaran didn't need to, he remained looking at her face with a bored expression.

"Well at least we know you haven't forgotten your basics, Sal. Up to trying a moving target?"

The moving target was provided by Baina, the female gnome who had been serving up breakfast earlier. She covered herself in the target board and started scurrying along. Will flinched as Ava picked up more knives but the gnome didn't hesitate as she ran through the makeshift obstacle course. Ava exhaled softly and ran after her, throwing knives at various distances. They all hit the red circle painted in the middle.

Ava looked back to grin at the two men. Will stared at her slack-jawed while Ruaran leant nonchalantly on the fence, still looking unimpressed.

"Easy when there's no-one attacking you, isn't it?", Ruaran drawled.

"Is that an offer?"

Ruaran smiled and threw her a wooden sword. Immediately Ava went on the offensive but Ruaran dodged and blocked her attacks effortlessly. Will watched him closely and the male elf even yawned, switching his sword-holding hand with a flourish. Ava's eyes narrowed in concentration but, after two minutes, Ruaran decided to end it and tripped his girlfriend up, raising the sword to strike her throat but stopping it suddenly before making contact with the skin.

"You get off lightly because it's your first day back. Tomorrow I start leaving bruises."

Ava frowned but nodded her head. "I told you I was rusty", she panted.

"We will fix that."

Ruaran strolled over to get her some water and Will grabbed his arm.

"I want you to teach me."

"Teach you what?"

"You know what. How to fight. Like you."

"When was the last time you picked up a weapon?"

"Um...never, I don't think."

Ruaran arched an eyebrow. "My, my, my, you two really have been living a cosy life, haven't you?"

"Well that's about to change. I need to know this stuff." The blood elf merely met his gaze. "I need your help with that."

Ruaran continued to stare at him then glanced over at Ava, who was watching the exchange with interest. He looked back to the human and said "Ok, Will, I will train you. But since I'm starting from nothing, I expect you to spend the majority of your waking hours here. You're going to be crawling back to your tent bloodied and bruised for weeks but you'll learn the ways of the warrior. I'm a hard taskmaster and I require total obedience though, is that clear?"

Will suppressed a growl. He didn't trust the blood elf, despite Ava's protests, and he had a feeling he was going to face a lot of humiliation in the near future but he had watched Ava closely as she moved through the obstacle course. She may have called herself rusty, but there was no doubt there was raw power and ingrained training in her fluid movements. He needed Ruaran so he nodded his head in agreement.

"Good. In that case I'll get you fitted in for some practice armour. We'll start immediately. And Sal? It's not for me to order you around, but you could really do with some practice too."

"I know", Ava said. "I can see a bow and arrow with my name on it. I think I'll leave you guys to it for a while and do some hunting in the outskirts of camp. We've got two more mouths to feed now after all."

"But you've always hated using a bow", said Ruaran.

"All the more reason for me to practice with it."

It was true she needed more bow practice, had needed it even before she left Azeroth. More importantly, Ava knew Will would spend a great deal of today clumsily losing his grip on the sword and falling on his ass. There was a reason children began their weapons training so young here; when you were a child you didn't realise how terribly you were doing. It was disheartening and Will didn't need her witnessing it, not today, not after everything he had been through. She would have to pick up training again, and hard, but she would do it as far away from him as possible.

She picked up a longbow and flung a quiver of arrows over her shoulder. Before leaving, she went on tip-toes and kissed Will, running her thumb softly over his stubbled chin.

"You'll be careful, right?" he asked.

"Of course. The outskirts of the ruins are deserted, apart from the occasional misguided adventurer and I'm used to hiding myself well if it comes to it. I won't be out of earshot of the camp. Good luck", she said, squeezing his hand before walking in the direction of the jungle.

* * *

Ava carried herself stealthily through the jungle undergrowth, bow poised to let fly as soon as she heard or saw an animal worth eating. Rogue training had come easily to her when she left the Blood Knights. Liadrin had trained her ever since she became of age and she had trained her well. The knowledge that blood elves' sudden paladin powers came from draining the Light from a Naaru hastened her decision to leave Silvermoon, though admittedly her mind was made up anyway. From then on, she had never touched the Light. If it could be bent to cause the entrapment of an innocent creature, how could it be trusted? Was it really any less evil or unpredictable than the arcane?

She had asked herself those questions many times before but to no avail. Her mind was so occupied with the establishment of the Green Crescent she could escape those difficult questions. Now she was back in Azeroth she wondered if she could call on the Light, after all this time. She pushed the thought away. Even if the blood elves were no longer draining a Naaru like Caruur claimed, it didn't make the Light a reliable source of power in her opinion. Better to only have to rely on yourself.

She quickly adapted her paladin training to the shadows and became a rogue. All the time spent with Darshan helped as well, under cover of the night, and watching him prowl around in cat form. She blushed as the thoughts of those other nights, the nights spent awake and alive in Ashenvale, came to her, unbidden. Again, she pushed them away, exhaled and forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. She froze when she felt the sharp point of a spear digging into her back.

"Ya skills ain't what dey used ta be, girly."

* * *

Will was hot, sweaty and pissed off.

'When do I actually get to hold a sword?", he asked.

"When you can stand correctly. I told you, you need to balance your weight better."

"I am balancing my weight!"

"You are not."

"I am."

"Fine", Ruaran said, then promptly swung a foot underneath Will, who landed with a thud on his back. He looked up at the blood elf's lazy smirk and grunted.

"Fine! Now help me up and show me to balance my damn weight."

* * *

The troll giggled maniacally, holding the spear firmly between her shoulder blades. She swung and faced him with a frown.

"Nu'neren! You scared me!"

"Good enough for ya, girl, crashing aroun' like a raptor in heat. I heard ya a mile off. Imagine ma surprise when it's nobody but da blondey girly who likes to boss people aroun'."

"Yes, it's a bit of a long story. As you can guess, I'm out of practice."

"Ya better be gettin' in practice real soon. Ma tusks be itchin' me and you know dat means trouble."

Ava smiled. Nu'neren was the finest scout around but he was a little...off. For a man who spends most of his time prowling the forests of Feralas alone, he was surprisingly chatty when he got into company. It was near impossible to shut the troll up and Ava rarely had the heart to send him away when he got too annoying.

He had been a wilderness stalker from the Revantusk tribe, based in the Hinterlands which was about as far away from Feralas as was possible. He claimed he went for a long walk in the woods one day and just kept walking. He slipped silently and unnoticed through the entirety of the Eastern Kingdoms and hid on a boat going to Kalimdor until finding his way to Feralas and straight into the Green Crescent camp. Caruur believed his experiences and long time in solitude left him a little unhinged, and Ava tended to agree. He vowed never to leave the jungle again, but he was the finest scout imaginable and had kept them safe from numerous potential ambushes and wandering adventurers countless times. Ava bet he would just be happy to find another person to talk to.

"Is there any hunting to be found around here?"

"Nah, not righ' now. You'll need to head north-east of the camp for some juicy sharks swimmin' abou' de lake up der."

"Sounds good Nu'neren. I'll go grab a spear from the camp and head up there."

"Don't be a stranger now ya hear? If anybody be sittin' about in camp, dey can come and keep me company."

"I'll pass on the message!", she called, already high-tailing it back to the camp. She was pretty relieved she didn't have to practice with the bow anymore. She fancied getting her hands on some of those practice swords Ruaran was wielding.

* * *

Will was beginning to regret asking for a sword. So far Ruaran had him doing nothing but forms, reminiscent of tai chi. He kept falling off balance and was beginning to attract some attention with his training attempts. He spotted Eshara and Amber, among others, coming over to subtly judge his attempts. His face flushed red, with exertion and embarrassment. From afar, he spotted Ava strolling back into camp, looking perfectly at ease with her bow slung over her shoulder. Spotting him, she waved and he waved back.

Ruaran noticed and said "Trying to impress Sal?"

"Her name is Ava. And I don't need to impress her. I just need to be able to protect her."

"What a fine job you're doing so far."

"A student is only as good as their teacher you know."

"Oh I know. That's why you're staying here all day. I don't expect you to become a passable fighter anytime soon but the least I can do is ensure you don't run yourself through with your own sword. And don't worry about taking care of Sal. If there was ever a formidable woman, it's her."

"And you know a lot about that, do you?"

Ruaran smiled, amused. "I do. I've known her a lot longer than you. And, more importantly, I have fought her and fought alongside her. If you really want to know a person, you need to see what they'll do when their life is hanging by a thread. Until then, you don't know shit. Now stand up straight and get in form before you're on your ass again."

Will glared at him as he prepared to go over the postures again. He really didn't like this blood elf but he was damn well going to learn everything he could from him while he had to be in his company.

* * *

By sunset, Will and Ava were both aching from their practice. Will was also humiliated, feeling this much pain without even holding a wooden sword. Patience, he kept telling himself. His shoulders ached as he spooned the stew into his mouth.

Next to him, Ava didn't fare much better. She had a slight limp and a bruise blossoming on her jaw from sparring with a Galaad, a ferocious male worgen at the other side of camp. At first his aggression had overwhelmed her but after a while she had used her inner calm to sidestep him and lure him into a trap. He could not keep a cool head while in worgen mode and she repaid him twice over for her own injuries. It was also the first time she had seen a worgen in action. Being new to the Alliance, few had defected to neutrality yet and were often some of the more ardent members of the faction.

From across the campfire, Will saw Amber intermittently throwing Ava dirty looks.

"What's the deal with the redhead anyway?", he asked.

"She just doesn't like me. She never has, not from the moment she set foot in the camp. I wish I could give you some kind of explanation and I wish I knew myself. She's deeply unpleasant, even for a warlock."

"Do they really keep minions?"

"Yes. And they can call on demons as well. The Crescent is no place for such dark magic if you ask me. But everyone else has it at their disposal so..."

"You fight fire with fire."

"Exactly."

The thought of using dark magic turned her stomach. She wondered if it had something to do with Amber's acidic personality or whether that had helped her choose her class. She could never quite figure out why she had joined the Green Crescent in the first place, having expressed no particular political opinions about peace and neutrality. Ava suspected her involvement here might be out of necessity after being rejected from any respectable Alliance organisation. She couldn't prove it though and Amber had proved useful a few times over the years. Always to Darshan or Caruur though, and never to her. Amber would never help her with a request or a mission and never let an opportunity to dismiss her authority pass her by. As long as she remained loyal to the team as a whole however, she couldn't punish her, as much as she longed to at times.

Night closed in, but the couple remained seated around the campfire, despite the lack of cold. Ava leaned on her boyfriends shoulder and he put his arm around her, holding back a wince as his over-worked muscles ached. Despite the pain, he was happy. Curled up with each other, in front of a fire, he could almost ignore everyone else around them and pretend it was just the two of them, like the time they had sat in front of a fire on the beach one summer night, content just to watch the flames and sit in silence.

The sound of a roar shook him out of his reminiscing and he looked up to see Darshan standing at the other side of the fire.

* * *

_**A/N: A bit of a wait again but a long chapter for you. The character list has been updated with the new names and I don't think there'll be any further additions to this story. As always, every review, favourite and follow is appreciated!**_


	14. Cage

Everything happened all at once. Fire totems sprung up and the glint of knives flashed but Ava's eyes didn't move from Darshan's as he sprang towards her. Will grabbed her out of the way just in time and the night elf stumbled forward. In an instant, Ruaran and Caruur were on top of him holding him down, with some effort despite their combined weight. Darshan was still in his night elf form but roaring like a wild animal.

Will frantically looked around but couldn't see any sign of the troll they had called Za'zera. Next to him, Ava was standing completely still, gazing calmly at the scene in front of her.

"Why didn't you run?", he asked.

"Huh?", she said, shaking her head as if coming out of a stupor.

"I said, why didn't you run? Move out of his way? I saw you today, I know your reflexes!"

"I...I don't know." She looked ashamed. "I guess I just froze."

Will pulled her tight towards him, hugging her close. "It's ok. You're safe."

She gazed over his shoulder, still looking at Darshan on the ground. Despite his discomfort, he managed to keep eye contact with her, his expression fierce and hateful.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Eshara and Amber looking on passively, from a distance. Where were they when he was attacking all of them? And where the hell was Za'zera?

Raenysa froze Darshan's legs into a block of ice and he was dragged into a holding cell, in a quiet spot in the west of the campsite. The bars were frozen shut and Caruur swiftly cast some protective elemental spells around it. Ruaran began shouting a rota of names to guard the cage. All the while, Ava and Will hung back from the well-ordered action. While Will's attention was on Ruaran's leadership, Ava watched Darshan as he desperately tried to break free from the mage's ice.

"Will you be ok if I leave you alone for just a moment?", Will asked.

Ava nodded and he removed his arms from around her, moving towards the male blood elf. She immediately began to shiver, despite the warm humidity of Feralas at night, regretting her agreement. She watched her boyfriend begin talking to Ruaran, himself wearing an annoyed expression at being interrupted from his organisation. She watched Caruur reverentially cast his shaman spells and Raenysa glare through the bars at the captive, muttering incantations all the time. She spotted the retreating backs of Eshara and her husband Malik disappear further into the trees. She noted Amber's continuing absence. She looked around at everything she could to avoid looking at Darshan's silver eyes glaring at her.

Until she couldn't avoid them anymore. Like the memories she tried to repress, they gnawed at her, focusing her attention until she was driven to look up and meet their harsh gaze.

Everything she had been trying to avoid over the last couple of days rose up and hit her square in the chest. The feelings she once had for Darshan had been trickling in, first slowly and now all at once. The great bundle of emotions that had been nagging her now revealed themselves in all their glorious mess. The sharp pain of betrayal, the bewildering feeling of being left alone, the panic of an animal caught in a trap, the shock of an unexpected tragedy. And, shining through it like a golden thread, the bright and violent light of a love unfinished.

She stumbled back slightly but kept her eyes focused on the night elf. Darshan had stopped struggling, his broad back slumped down in the cage, the features of his face even softening slightly as he met her gaze. She had been spared this weight of feeling for years, had he been carrying it around all this time? His feverish anger suggested the years had done nothing to dim his feelings for her, only twisting them into something dark and unrecognisable.

She sucked in a ragged breath as she fought an irrational urge to hold him, to tell him how everything would be ok, to try and remove that haunted look from his eyes. A tiny voice spoke up inside her head; _I should have been there. I should have been the one to comfort him after his family died. We could have gotten through this together._

She knew they could have. Instead, they tried to kill each other and ended up universes apart. She backed away from the cell, finally turning to run for the cover of the jungle on the far side of camp. Before she retched her dinner up in the comfort of solitude, she had one more thought. _I will find whoever did this and I will kill them._

* * *

It was nearly an hour later when Will found her seated back at the dying campfire, a blanket wrapped around her and a steaming mug of vine tea in her hands. She was staring blankly into the embers and he was overcome with a rush of protective love.

He knelt down behind her, wrapping himself around her back and she jumped.

"Sorry baby, I shouldn't have startled you like that."

"Oh..." Ava replied, flustered. "No, no, I like having you here. I'm sorry, I was miles away."

Will turned and sat next to her. "How can you cold in the middle of the jungle?"

"I...I just feel a chill", she replied weakly.

Will frowned. She looked worse than when she had woken up in Orgrimmar. Pale, tired and, most of all, sad.

"Hey, I won't have you worried, ok?"

"Worried?", she murmured.

"Worried about Darshan. He's not going anywhere. I had a long talk with Ruaran about the security measures around the cell. Between magic and manpower, there's no way he's going to be able to break free. Even the fight seems to have left him now, he knows he's been beaten."

"What are they going to do with him?"

"Don't worry about that now. I'm sure Caruur has a great plan. But I can promise you he won't hurt you. Y'know, for such a pain in the ass, Ruaran does know his stuff."

She nodded vacantly.

"Ava, you don't look well. Maybe we should get an early night."

She hesitated. She wanted to remain out here in the open air, where she felt she could breath. She needed space, to be truly alone with her thoughts and start sorting out her memories, not lying in a makeshift bed next to Will. When she looked up at his concerned features though, she relented. This was Will, her partner and protector. The man who followed her to Azeroth and proudly carried his new sword at his hip, despite only having the vaguest idea how to use it. All for her. She leaned towards him and said softly "let's go to bed."

* * *

"That was a brave move."

Darshan didn't react to the familiar voice. He continued looking down at the spot of his cell he had been focusing on for the last few hours. Ever since she had turned and fled into the darkness, there was nothing else to look at. He remained looking at the dirt, if only to keep the memory of her eyes firm in his mind.

"You must have known you couldn't succeed. Did Za'zera know that too? Is that why he isn't here?" Caruur continued.

Her eyes, her real glowing green eyes, had locked on to him and the worst of the burning hatred had dampened. He could not afford this kind of distraction, he had to remain focused on his family.

"I believe there must be a way to end this. I need to see the letters you received about Salandria."

Her eyes. He must not think of her eyes.

"What did Silvermoon give to you?"

Darshan looked up in surprise at the tauren and Caruur's impatience vanished. He had his attention now.

* * *

Ava remained awake for many hours after going to her tent. Will's arm was around her and she refrained from moving so not to wake him. She stayed , gazing into the darkness until she fell into bittersweet dreams of mossy smells and whispered promises.

_**A/N: Well let's hope I haven't mixed up anyone's names in this chapter! Thank you to eagle-eyed reviewers who alerted me early :) **_

_**Yup, updates have been slow. New job, etc. etc. I can promise you this story will be finished, I love writing it and I love seeing new people follow & favourite it.**_


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